JUNGLE DAYS: STEALTH MISSION

 

The jungle was in turmoil. Forces from outside disturbed the harmony of nature. Unwanted visitors. Reviled even. Dark-hearted humans from the civilized world with the sole aim of satisfying their greedy desires. Desires for fortune. People of the worst kind. Earlier this day, a trio of poachers had managed to get deep into the jungle and kidnap a Naka'i monkey from their troop. From the moment the helpless monkey fell into one of their traps, the evil humans knew they had captured a virtually unknown specimen. That golden-colored fur was surely indicative of the rarity and great value the animal would have on the black market. They were already thinking about what they would buy with the money they would make from it.

Carried inside a simple but effective wooden cage, the primate squealed and shook the bars desperately to break his confinement and be free. All his efforts were in vain. There was nothing he could do.

"Eek!! Eek!! Eek! Eek!! Eek!!"

"For fuck's sake! Would you mind doing something to shut that damn animal up, please!? I don't think I can stand that racket much longer! I can barely hear my own thoughts! This one is much louder than the others!", one of the poachers exclaimed.

"Calm down already. We just have to wait for the other guy to get here with the truck and we'll get the hell out of here."

"Tch! They better pay us a good figure for this sneaky little bastard."

"Ook!! Ook!! Ook!! Eek!! Eek!! Eek!!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!", the poacher yelled while furiously kicking the cage. "Argh! I've had enough of this! If you need me, I'll be inside trying to get some damn rest. Just let me know when it's time, 'kay?"

"Yeah whatever...", his partner replied with little interest as he pulled a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket. The poacher climbed the stairs and entered a cabin they used as a storage room.

Fortunately for the monkey, his pitiful cries for help didn't go unheard for much longer. Help was on its way. High up in the trees, the silhouette of a young girl suddenly appeared, perched on one of the branches. She took a few seconds to analyze the situation, observe the surroundings and plan how to rescue the Naka'i. It didn't take long for the monkey to notice her presence. The queen of the monkeys was on the case.

"Eek-eek! Eek-eek ook-ook eek! (Sister! Help! Help, please!)", the Naka'i hooted, reaching out an arm, communicating in the language of the primates.

From above, Y'shaati looked down at him covering her own mouth with one hand, suggesting that he keep quiet to avoid alerting the furtive poacher. The monkey got the message immediately. Apparently she already had a good strategy to save him. The cage was very close to a small but deep puddle of mud. What could be considered an obstacle, for her it was an advantage. Y'shaati knew very well how to use it to her favor.

Grabbing a vine, she stealthily descended upside down until she almost reached the surface of the puddle. There, she turned her whole body and introduced her feet into it very gently, avoiding making as much noise as possible. The mud was quite cold, but the wild girl was used to that sensation. It even felt pleasant on her skin due to the heat of the jungle. It wasn't the first time she had done that to refresh herself. The blonde submerged her naked body little by little until she was half covered in that sticky substance. So far so good. However, an unfortunate setback occurred. All of a sudden, the vine she used to lower herself down broke and fell into the puddle, creating a noisy splash that caught the poacher's attention.

"Hmph? What was that?"

"Ahhh!", Y'shaati gasped.

To avoid being discovered, she quickly took a deep breath and sank into the puddle, disappearing completely. The man walked towards it to investigate. The man was heavily armed with an assault rifle and a knife, so if he ever suspected that something was wrong, she would be in deep trouble. The situation was beyond precarious.

"Hmm... I could have sworn I heard something...", the poacher said, meticulously scanning the area. "Whoa fuck! Damn I almost fell... looks deep..."

A little more than two minutes passed. The caged Naka'i began to worry for his sister. Luckily, Y'shaati was good at holding her breath thanks to her training with the pink dolphins Toninaas since she was a young girl.

"Did you see anything?", the poacher asked looking at the monkey.

"Eeeek! Eeeek! Eeeek!"

"Grrrr! Stop being a pain in the ass already, you filthy animal!"

After that, the poacher returned to his post. Y'shaati was finally able to emerge from the mud to catch her breath. Now she was entirely covered in mud from head to toe. Only her eyes were barely visible. Thanks to the light of the sunset, she managed to obtain a perfect camouflage, becoming almost imperceptible and blending in perfectly with the environment.

Once out of the puddle, Y'shaati crawled very slowly across the ground, leaving a trail in her path as she glanced sideways at the poacher. The man was completely unattended again, still smoking his cigarette. There could be no better chance than that to free the monkey.

"Ook-ooh-ook. Ook-ook-ohh... (Y'shaati here. Naka'i safe soon...)", she whispered as she arrived with the primate.

"Eek-ook? (But how?)"

"Ook. Ohh-ook? (Trust Y'shaati, yes?)"

At that moment, Y'shaati grabbed two bars with her arms, and with extraordinary strength, managed to bend them enough so that the Naka'i could get out.

"Ooh-ohh! (Yay! Freedom!)", the monkey exclaimed with joy.

"Shhh! Eek-ook! (Shhh! Go now!)", she ordered the Naka'i pointing to some bushes to hide there for a few minutes. They both still couldn't leave. Y'shaati had one last important thing to do.

After finishing enjoying his cigarette, the poacher turned to check on his valuable prey. His surprise was great when he noticed that the cage was empty.

"What the hell...!?", he couldn't believe his eyes. Running to inspect the scene in detail, the man noticed the tampering of the object. There were also traces of mud, as if someone had broken it on purpose. Nothing made sense.

"How is this possible? How could he...", just then, a large drop of mud fell from above onto his face. "Gaghh! What is this? Grrrr, stupid monkey! How did you get out? You'll see when I get you back to..."

The poacher couldn't finish his sentence. Two mud-covered soles kicked him right in the head, knocking him to the ground instantly. Y'shaati was so swift in her attack that the man didn't even know what hit him. Having solved the problem, the wild girl signaled the primate to come out of hiding. Clinging onto her shoulder, the Naka'i and Y'shaati climbed a tree and abandoned the place swinging through the treetops.

Half an hour later, the other poacher came out of the cabin after managing to take a short nap. The first thing he noticed was that there was finally peace. He thought that perhaps the animal had exhausted itself from crying. That thought died fast when he observed his partner lying on the ground unconscious and no sign of the golden-furred monkey. "WHA... WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!?"

The poacher approached his partner to lift him up and wake him with several hard slaps.

"Wake up you idiot! Where the hell is the damn monkey? I can't leave for two seconds without you fucking it up, huh?"

"Ohhhhh... is that you mom...? No, I don't wanna go to school today..."

"Goddammit! Not fair... we were so close to be rich! Aaaaaaaarghh!!"

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: EPILOGUE - FAREWELL

 

ONE WEEK AFTER THE BATTLE OF MURA NUNKA...

Rarely had there been such a fierce fight as the one that occurred in that remote place. A unique event in which legends became reality. Most animals witnessed the confrontation and quickly spread the word throughout the jungle. Meanwhile, the vestiges of the battlefield lingered for several days until mother nature itself decided it was time to turn the page. A great monsoon late at midnight carried away the rubble, washed away the bloodstained grass and buried the corpses of all those unfortunate ones who didn't manage to survive the battle. Heavy and incessant rain that returned everything back to the main flow of the Amazon River. Back to the origin of all things. Because from the water the jungle was born, and also in the water everything will die. That is the cycle of life in Amazonia.

The huge inert body of the mythological being known as the Mapinguari was not exempt from this fate. Every small drop of rain and every current of air gradually disintegrated the remains of what was once human. A dark-hearted human whose ambition only managed to lead him straight to an inevitable and premature death. However, among the beast's scattered organs and crushed bones, the object of his insane desire remained untouched. The amazonite, that damned jewel that caused all this mayhem, was still slightly embedded in the monster's guts. As Uyari had mentioned before, the curse of the Mapinguari cannot be erradicated, it can only be contained. And in the near future, the day will probably come when the threat will have to be stopped once again.

Suddenly, the jewel detached itself from the dead fiend's entrails and fell to the wet soil. The gleaming crimson jewel rolled down the hill until it reached the riverbank. The violent current of the water combined with the strong storm didn't take long to drag it into the heart of the river. The amazonite slowly sank lost from sight in its dark and unknown depths. Fishes and other aquatic fauna swimming around felt strange vibrations in the water, as if the object were emitting an unnerving voice to attract the attention of a new host. A poor soul destined to fall into temptation. All this, in order to be reborn and continue eating, devouring to satiate its never-ending hunger:

"MUST... CONSUME... MORE..."

/////////////

ELSEWHERE...

That same night of the monsoon, but in a completely different part of Amazonia, a pair of human figures were walking through the jungle. Two tall and athletic dark-skinned men with tribal paintings in their bodies, carrying torches and spears, dressed only with loincloths and primitive ornaments. Together they were dragging an unconscious, injured young blond boy with torn clothes and dirty bandages. But judging by the cold look on their faces, they were not the least bit concerned about the state of his health. On the contrary, they looked at him with deep pure hatred. The principles of their tribe were the only thing that kept them from slitting his throat and leave him to die. They had orders to follow.

They were a few steps away from reaching their destination: the creepy and fortified village of the Kawahiva tribe. A very inhospitable and isolated location in one of the most unsettling regions of Amazonia: Ka'irai. At the high gates of the settlement, two other men were already awaiting their arrival. As they entered and made their way through the huts, the locals watched the escorts with intrigue and uncertainty. People with a worringly decadent look. Men, women and children alike. All of them squalid and bald with many scars on their faces. Half-naked with only rags to cover their waists and pale white paint patterns on their boney skins. It was not usual for them to receive many visitors. Much less from people of the outside world like that odd-looking young man. But in the past couple of days, those numbers had slightly increased. Something definitely had happened. They knew that only meant one thing: another despicable criminal had been captured.

The escorts continued on their way until they entered the largest open hut located in the center of the village. Inside, a mature and muscular person sat on an throne made of palms. The imposing man had scars all over his body and wore a huge gray plume on his head, while an intimidating black mask covered his whole face. The place was adorned with a great number of shields, weapons and large idol statues carefully carved in wood. Representations of the very deities they worshipped, according to their beliefs. The fire on the torches was the only source of light in there. The escorts brought the captive blond boy to his knees and struck the ground with their spears as a sign of respect for the man in front of them. People soon began to crowd around the hut despite the thunderous storm, prepared for what was coming. The two men proceeded to explain the reason of their presence.

"Nde Chapai... ambue pekador oñemoguahẽ oréve ko árape. Roha'arõ ne ñe'ẽ arandu... (Excellency Chapai... another sinner has been delivered to us today. We await your wise word to proceed...)", both men said at the same time in an amazonic language.

"Oh... ambue? Iporã. Iporã añete. Upéicha Tupãsy Jaguarete ore rovasa jey. Haʼe opromete haguéicha! ¡Emomba'eguasu tupãsy! (Oh... another one? Good. Good indeed. So the Jaguar Goddess has blessed us again. Just as she promised! Praise the Goddess!)", said the man named Chapai, who was the chieftain of the whole tribe.

"Ndaipóri tiem ojeperde haguã upérõ. Emombáy chupe, tupãnguéra oha'arõ... (No time to waste then. Wake him up, the gods are awaiting...)", he ordered as he stood up. One of the guards took a candle and held it under the boy's nose. The smoke induced an effect that accelerated his heartbeat and woke him up almost instantly. The escorts dragged him to display him in front of all the spectators.

"Ahhhhh... uhhhhh... ohhh... what the... where... where am I...?", Marco asked feeling dizzy. At that moment, he was startled to see the chieftain's mask and the dark-skinned men standing at his sides, but he was too weak to scream. "Aaaahhh! Who... who the fuck are you...?"

"Nokuéra! Herkuéra! Péina ápe! Oguahẽma ko pekór ári pe tupãnguéra huísio! Ko inva oñeanimáma omongy’a ñande róga sagrada prese reheve! Emaña porã hese! Ani arakaʼeve nderesarái mbaʼéichapa haʼe! Ndahaʼemoʼãi pe última ves jahecha peteĩva koʼãichagua... (Brothers! Sisters! Behold! The judgment of the gods has come upon this sinner! This invader has dared to defile our sacred home with his undesirable presence! Take a good look at him! Never forget what he looks like! It will not be the last time we see one of their kind...)", the chieftain exclaimed, addressing to the people of the village. The sound of drums began to resonate.

"Reheg... reheg... reheg... (Invader... invader... invader...)", the crowd began to chant to the rhythm of the percussion.

"Wait... savages? I'm with the savages!? Where... where's Zé? She... said she was gonna... oh no...", the boy said looking around, remembering what Uyari told him a few days ago.

"Ko pekór nomereséi peón... ko pekór nomereséi rredensiõ!! (This sinner does not deserve forgiveness... this sinner does not deserve redemption!!)", the chieftain shouted.

"Reheg! Reheg! Reheg! (Invader! Invader! Invader!)", the people chanted louder, moving from one side to the other. The rhythm of the drums was getting faster.

"Ko pekór omerese añoite... SUFIRÍA HA GONIA!! (This sinner only deserves... SUFFERING AND AGONY!!)", the chieftain screamed raising and waving his arms in the air.

"REHEG!! REHEG!! REHEG!! (INVADER!! INVADER!! INVADER!!)", the crowd exploded. The tribals began to dance, jump and howl to the sky while rolling their eyes as if in a state of trance. Others played primitive instruments to invoke the deities. Soon, the quiet village became a complete madhouse.

"Jesus... w-what the hell... is wrong with this... f-fucking maniacs...", the boy said disturbed.

"Peẽ peñekondena vaʼekue! (You have been condemned!)", said the masked man pointing at him.

"To'a nde ári pe sy pochy! Ha nemaldeci remano peve! Tereho emombo chupe umi yvykuápe! (May the wrath of the allmother fall upon you! And curse you until the hour of your destined death! Go and throw him into the devil's gulch!)"

"What? I don't understand a single... Hey... no... no, let me go! Get your hands off me... y-you... you fuckers!", he whispered as the two guards took him by force and carried him away against his will. There was nothing he could do about it. Chieftain Chapai and the villagers stayed behind to celebrate the conviction. The storm grew stronger, as if the gods had effectively listened to the leader's words.

On the outskirts of the village, the men led Marco to a black ravine amidst dry trees and dead vegetation. A depressing, highly inaccessible and dangerous place with uneven terrain, surrounded by barricades, stakes, hanging cages with skeletons and other crude torture devices made of wood by the Kawahiva. But the worst of all was beyond there: there was a huge dark pit of at least five or six meters deep. An horrible hole in the ground that would be his new home. The prison where he would serve his death sentence.

"Don't tell me... No no no no! Wait! Please! Don't put me in there... anything but that! I'll talk! I'll do whatever you want! Please! PLEASE I SWEAR TO GOD, DON'T DO IT!!!", he begged, kicking desperate to free himself. The guards ignored him. Without hesitation, they threw the boy into the pit.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!", Marco screamed falling all the way to the bottom. Luckily for him, the surface was wet and muddy, so he cushioned the hit.

After lying there for a few seconds, he slowly crawled to one of the corners of the hole. He couldn't make out anything, the pit was completely dark. Looking above, he managed to notice that the walls of the pit were covered with very sharp thorns, so escaping from there was practically impossible.

"Argh... dammit... I gotta get out of here... there must be something around that I could... uh? What is this...?", he said as he touched a round-shaped object with his hands. With the light emitted by a lightning, he discovered what it was. A cracked human skull.

"Ahhhhhh!! What the fuck!?", the boy shouted in horror. Soon, he realized that a lot of human bones were scattered all over the floor. He wasn't the first to be condemned to die there. But that was just the beginning of this terrible nightmare.

"Hahahahaha! My oh my... look what the cat dragged in... how did a pretty boy like you ended up down here, eh? Surely you must have done something really, really bad... or very stupid, heh heh heh...", a mysterious female voice said from the other side of the pit. There was a woman sitting there as well.

"Ahh!!! W-who's there!? Wait... y-you speak my language!?", Marco asked shocked to see that he wasn't alone.

"So it seems... aren't we lucky? About goddamn time I had someone to have a decent conversation with again... it's been a while since the last time I chatted. I've been here for so long, you see. But tell me... what happened to you, sweetie?", the unidentified woman asked. A shadow was hiding the upper half of her face.

"Oh, thank god! I'm so glad to hear that! Uhhh, well... its... its a pretty long story, actually...", the boy confessed. "I don't think you would like to..."

"It's okay, I like long stories, heh. Besides, we have plenty of time... it's not like we have any better things to do, right? I know... why don't you tell me your story and then I tell you mine? That way we'll get to know each other better, don't you think? heh heh heh...", the woman laughed.

"Uh... well yeah, I guess you have a point there. Okay. I'm so relieved to know I'm not..."

"Wanna know a little thing or two about me? I like to be in company. I also can be very patient too. And I would REALLY like to hear your story... but if you don't start talking and tell me your FUCKIN' DAMN STORY RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA BREAK YOUR FUCKIN' NECK!!", the woman demanded furious, breaking a bone with her fist.

"Ahh!! okay, sorry sorry!! I-It won't happen again, I promise!! My-My name is Marco, by the way..."

"Name's Devana. Now, don't make me repeat it again. Start talking..."

/////////////

THE NEXT DAY...

After several uninterrupted days of heavy rain, the fury of the monsoon had finally come to an end. The dark clouds vanished and father sun Kuaras'y appeared again in the sky, just in time to show the path on the river that those unexpected visitors would navigate to find their way out of Amazonia. The long-awaited day had arrived. Just a couple of months ago, tragedy had led them to think that this place was a green hell. But now, they were all beginning to understand the inner beauty of the jungle. It was almost nostalgic.

The boat's engine was up and running. Supplies were already counted and organized for the return trip. Only a few minor navigational details were missing, which Dr. Escudero and Lucas were already taking care of. Meanwhile, Y'shaati passed the time sitting in the stern of the boat, contemplating her own reflection in the crystal clear water of the river. Still pondering her impending future. Asking herself over and over again if she was making the right decision. At that instant, a pair of small Toninaas, the friendly pink dolphins she had learned to swim with, appeared in front of the boat. As she watched them play and jump free across the river, she couldn't help but remember those happy days when her life was so much simpler. Days that will probably never come back. That brief moment was interrupted by the presence of Dr. Isabel, who approached Y'shaati for a little chat.

"My goodness! Are those Inia Geoffrensis? They're extraordinarily rare! This is the first time I've seen them with my own eyes! How fortunate! Ach, I wish I had a camera. They're beautiful... though surely ye've seen them before, haven't ye, Iara?", the female doctor asked as the animals swam away. Y'shaati turned to look at Isabel with a melancholic face.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry, dear. I understand. I know this is being very difficult, but I promise this is the best thing for a lassie like ye. Soon ye will have a real life with us. Ye will have a family again. Ye will get the love ye always deserved. Ooh, what's more! I have an idea! When we get to Madrid, I'll take ya to visit the zoo! There ye will be able to meet many animals like the ones that live here. Even some that ye've probably never seen before!", Isabel said to cheer her up.

"Zoo...? Animals...?", the blonde asked.

"Exactly! If ya want, we can also have a wee pet, like a puppy or a kitten! Since ya can communicate with animals, reckon ye'll be able to befriend them in no time! I'm sure ye'll gunnae love it!"

"Y'shaati make more friends?", she asked a little more enthusiastically.

"Aye! Making new friends brings joy and happiness. And ye deserve to be happy. I will always be there for ya, love...", Isabel said before reaching into her blouse and pulling out a small silver locket with a picture of a man. "I will also tell ye all about this person who was very special to me..."

Y'shaati looked at the small monochromatic face. "Who that?", she asked in confusion.

"He's yer father..."

"Fa-ther?"

"That's right. Well... he was yer father... I dinnae think he's still with us... but ye're his daughter. I'm sure...", Isabel said with a slight smile. Y'shaati couldn't quite grasp the significance of what that great revelation meant. She had grown up believing that every creature in the jungle had mother and father figures except her. That's how it was, and that's how it always be.

"Y'shaati have... mom dad?", she asked again.

"Indeed. Although... I must admit that I ken absolutely nothing about yer mum. But dinnae worry, together we can find out... and maybe...", just then, Lucas and Dr. Escudero appeared and inopportunely interrupted their conversation to give them a very important message.

"All right! We're ready to go! ALL ABOOOOOOAAAAAAAARD! I always wanted to say that, hahaha!", the old man laughed.

"Grandpa... was it really necessary for you to scream like that?", Lucas said embarrassed.

"What? Don't be a killjoy, my boy! This is cause for celebration! We're finally going home! Although I honestly think I'm gonna miss this place... we don't know when we'll be able to have an adventure like this again!"

"Adventure!? Seriously!? How can you say this was a... bah, forget it...", the boy sighed slapping his own face.

"Ach, excuse me but Iara and I were having a nice wee time together, so I'd like to...", Isabel said before being interrupted again by the unexpected arrival of yet another person.

"Hello everyone! I'm glad I'm not too late!", Uyari said after swinging and landing on the deck of the boat. She was using again her tribal loincloth and bikini. Y'shaati couldn't help but feel a great joy at being able to see her friend before she left.

"Uyari!", both Lucas and the blonde exclaimed as the latter sprinted towards her, completely forgetting about her talk with Isabel.

"Ah! But Iara... darlin...", Isabel whispered, strenching out an arm to stop Y'shaati in vain.

"Y'shaati think... Y'shaati no see Uyari again!", Y'shaati said pouting.

"I know, and I'm sorry. Did you really think I was going to leave without saying farewell? Ha! You're still so naive, monkey!", the brunette said grinning. A friendly and unusual expression for her. It was evident that she had been relieved of an enormous weight after the battle with the Mapinguari.

"Oh, Miss Zé! I mean... Miss Uyari! How nice to see you again! And just in time! We were just about to set sail. Uhhh... I have to suppose that you came from taking care of... that matter with...", Grandpa said in a sad tone.

"Indeed, Dr. Escudero. It's done...", Uyari replied.

"I see. I just wish there had been another way...", the old man sighed.

"You won't have to worry about it anymore. You must move on. Go on with your lives. The jungle is safe now. I just came to say goodbye to you and this brave girl. I could never have made it without her. She even saved my life...", she said turning to look at the blonde. "And for that, I thank you sincerely again. The way you fought that monster was beyond impressive!"

"Uyari strong! Uyari do pow, whoosh, bam, wham!", Y'shaati exclaimed excited imitating the punches and kicks of Uyari's fighting style.

"Hehehehe! Your power is amazing too! You just need someone to teach you how to control it. Oh! Maybe I... ahh... yeah... right...", the brunette remembered the current situation looking at the floor. Behind her, Ikta subtly landed on the deck as well, causing the vehicle to shake due to her big size. "Ahhhh!", Lucas and the others got a little scared of that.

"Hey! I told you to stay back, you're too heavy for this boat!", Uyari scolded her feline sister. The Onsa came over and rubbed her head on Y'shaati's leg as she purred. She had already grown accustomed to her presence. "I think she wants to say goodbye to you too, hehe!"

"Ikta!", Y'shaati said bending down to pet his head. The feline proceeded to lick her face. The feral girl couldn't help but giggle as she felt the caress.

Meanwhile, Isabel just watched the brief moment of pure happiness of her beloved Iara. She wished with all her heart to be able to communicate and relate to her as easily as Uyari did. To be able to understand her and make her smile like that. That was when the doctor finally understood the truth: she could never make her happy, no matter how hard she could try. By taking her to Madrid, she would only be tying Iara to her past. That sad, never-ending painful quest to fill the void Francis Garcia left in her life. Iara would surely never be able to adapt to civilization and would live unhappily for the rest of her days. She imagined the whole possible scenario. That was simply unacceptable. She could never do that to her. She didn't have the heart to ruin her life at the cost of her own desire. Uyari's words were true. It was time to turn the page, close old wounds and move on with her life.

With her eyes lowered, Isabel slowly approached the girls. Dr. Escudero and his grandson looked surprised and attentive.

"Miss Zé...", she spoke to Uyari.

"Yes, Dr. Isabel?"

"Ye have helped us countless times since we arrived here... I ken I've no right to demand anything from ye... but I would like to ask one last favor before we leave..."

"Uh? Sure, what do you need?"

"Could ye take care of my sweet Iara for me... in my absence?"

"Excuse me? But I though you... wait... that means... are you saying...?"

"Aye. Now I ken. I see how ye look at her. And how she looks at ye. I can feel it. Ye both share a very special bond. A bond that I can't have with her... not for now, at least. So please..."

"Ahhh... well... I... I don't know what to say... I...", Uyari stammered blushing.

"Could ye do me that favor?"

"B-But of course! It will be my pleasure!"

"What...?", Y'shaati asked Isabel without knowing what they were talking about.

"Nothing darlin... I was just telling Miss Uyari that ye can stay here in the jungle with her if ye want to..."

"Ah!? Y'shaati stay!?", the blonde sighed in shock.

"That's right, love! Would ye like that?"

Y'shaati smiled and quickly stood up to tenderly embrace Isabel. That right there, was the sign of affection she had so longed for. She felt her journey was, at last, fullfilled.

"Ohhhh... I'm gunnae miss ye... so so much...", the female doctor sobbed while holding her very tightly. "But this isn't a goodbye... it's just a farewell. I promise I'll come pay ya a visit. I don't know when... but I definitely will, my sweet dear Iara..."

"Hey ladies, what's with the secrecy? Spill the beans already!", Dr. Escudero ordered.

"Archie! Ye were right, all along. We dinnae need to take Iara home. Cos... she's already at home!"

"That's what I wanted to hear! You make me so proud, Isabel! Bravo!", the old man celebrated her decision.

"Dr. Isabel! That's wonderful news! I'm so glad you finally understood! That's very mature of you! I agree it's the best thing for her. Ahhh... but... but then... that... that means... oh... oh no...", Lucas considered for a second.

"What's wrong, Lucas?", Isabel asked.

"(Crap! Crap! That means... I only have a few minutes left to tell Y'shaati my feelings for her. Argh! Damn! This changes everything! I thought I'd have more time to do it! And worst of all, I don't even know how to do it! I didn't have time to plan a strategy! Oh my gosh... now what do I do!?)", Lucas said frantically in his mind.

"Are you feeling all right, dear? You're sweating a lot...", Isabel pointed out.

"I... I... I... I... I'd like to...", before he could utter another word, Dr. Escudero put an arm around his neck to speak to him privately.

"Psst!"

"Wh-what?"

"Easy my boy, I know what you're thinking... go ahead! It's now or never! Don't be afraid! You are just one step away from becoming a man! You've come this far, you can't turn back now!", the old man motivated him by speaking in his ear.

"Ah... do you... do you really believe that, Grandpa? But how do I...", the boy asked.

"Do what comes from your heart. Declaring yourself to a girl is easy! Just address her as the queen she is to you! Treat her as such! Don't forget that!", the old man answered winking an eye.

"Oooh! Oh-okay! Thanks grandpa!", Lucas turned around with more confidence in himself. Just then, the boy walked towards Y'shaati to tell her what he had kept to himself for so long. Uyari and Isabel listened closely.

"Uhh, hmm... eh, Y'shaati... I... I want to tell you something very important... so-something I've never told to anyone..."

"....", she remained silent, staring at him.

"Since... since the day I first met you, my life changed forever. I had never met a girl like you before. Let alone one who saved my life countless times. A girl so cute and so brave, almost like an angel sent down from heaven. A wild angel. All those days and nights we spent together. All that I taught you, and you taught me... I think those were the best days of my entire life!", he confessed taking her hand.

"I was so lucky to have found you! You helped me so much! And since then I... I couldn't help but feel something growing on me. What I mean is... you make me very... I-I mean... I feel... ggghhh... aargghh... gaaaaaaagh...", Lucas groaned as if he was having a stroke.

"Lucas!?", she asked worried.

"IWANTYOUTOKNOWTHATILIKEYOUVERYMUCH!!!", Lucas exclaimed before kneeling down and taking one of Y'shaati's feet in his hands and kissing it gently with his eyes closed.

"AAAAAAAAAH!!! LUCAS!!! WHAT IN GOD'S NAME YER DOING!?!?", Isabel cried out scandalized at the sight of the boy's action. Even Uyari blushed a little. Y'shaati wiggled her toes and tilted her head in confusion as she felt the boy's lips touching her foot. She didn't know the meaning behind that intention. She considered that perhaps it was a common display of affection from the civilized world.

"Ah? Is it wrong? B-b-b-but Grandpa told me to treat her like a queen! I-I-I thought that...", Lucas babbled still holding Y'shaati's foot.

"Oh geez son, it was just an expression! I never told you to do that, hahaha!", Dr. Escudero grinned nervously as he scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, the wild blonde crouched to stare at Lucas in the eyes.

"Lucas...", she spoke in a serious tone.

"Ah! I apologize! I shouldn't have done that, it wasn't appropriate! I don't know what I was thinking... ugh, I'm so stupid, I just wanted to tell you that, hmpf...", Y'shaati interrupted Lucas by covering his mouth with one finger, just to tenderly lick one of his cheeks. That was for her the closest thing to what in the civilized world would be considered 'a kiss'.

 

"Y'shaati like Lucas too...", she said.

"Ahhhhh... really!?", he asked.

"Y'shaati and Lucas... friends forever!", she said with a cute smile.

"Friends? Ah... yes of course! Friends! Though we'll be far apart... we'll always be friends... it's a promise, monkey girl!", Lucas vowed smiling as he held back the urge to cry. A small tear ran down his face. The two shared a lovely hug before taking separate ways.

/////////////

Later, with the course set, the ship finally set sail. As it slowly pulled away from the river's edge, Lucas and Isabel waved goodbye one last time from the stern of the ship. From below, Y'shaati dipped her feet in the water to wave her arms in great joy like a child. Sitting on Ikta's back, Uyari also said goodbye with a more mature and solemn expression.

"Goodbye Y'shaati!!! Goodbye Miss Uyari!!! Please take care!!!", Lucas shouted at the top of his lungs.

"My dear Iaraaa!!! I hope ye remember me... with the wee gift I left ye. I'll see ya agaaaain!!!", Dr. Isabel shouted with great hope in her heart.

"Byeeee!! Byeeee!!", Y'shaati screamed jumping up and down.

"Farewell! May the gods and the allmother bless you!", Uyari prayed for the safety of their friends.

Before long, the boat was out of sight on the beautiful horizon. Without much else to do, the brunette invited the blonde to ride Ikta with her so they could both leave the river as well. And that, was the closing scene of this improbable, dangerous and yet fantastic adventure. This had turned out to be an unforgettable experience. Each of them had learned a great lesson in the end. They were all now a better version of themselves. And all that remained was to live until the day they would meet again, if fate permits. A fitting conclusion to the convergence of two different worlds.

However...

Unbeknownst to anyone...

Someone had been observing these events... From the very beginning...

/////////////

While traversing the jungle on their way to Uyari's home, Y'shaati and Uyari discussed what the two of them would do together from now on, now that they shared a common purpose. But then, something unforseen happened. A huge gray gorilla suddenly stood in their way. Ikta barely managed to skid on the ground to avoid colliding with the ape. Startled, Ikta produced a warning growl.

"Whoa! Hold on, sister! Easy... stay on guard!", Uyari ordered, waiting for the gorilla's imminent attack. She knew that facing an ape of that size wasn't an easy task. This would be a tough fight. However, before an unnecessary conflict could break out, Y'shaati quickly made a nimble leap from behind to position herself between the black jaguar and the gray gorilla.

"No! Stop!", the blonde exclaimed with her arms outstretched in both directions.

"Y'shaati! What are you doing!?", the native girl asked.

"Stop! No hurt friend!", Y'shaati replied.

"What? This gorilla is your... friend?", Uyari asked again in surprise. Y'shaati had already recognized him. He was Na'ek. That gray ape she had met years ago and with whom she had a hard disagreement several months ago when she had just met Lucas. At that moment, the ape approached Y'shaati to communicate in primate language.

"Ook ook... uhh ohh ahh ook... (Little monkey... a while it's been...)", Na'ek greeted.

"Ooh ook!? Uhh ahh ook? (Na'ek!? What Na'ek doing here?)", Y'shaati asked stunned.

"Ohh ahh ook ohh... Uhh ooh ahh ahh... (Na'ek looking for Y'shaati for a long time... Na'ek want to talk...)"

"Ook ooh ahh? (Na'ek still mad at Y'shaati?)"

"Ooh ook ooh. Ook ook ahh ook... ahh ooh... (No. Na'ek come in peace. Past is past. Na'ek want to make amends... in private. That's all...)"

Y'shaati reflected the proposal for a few moments. She never thought she would hear those words coming from Na'ek's mouth. Apparently he was willing to swallow his pride and settle their differences peacefully. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. The blonde turned to Uyari to explain the situation.

"Uhhh... Y'shaati must... do... something...", she admitted.

"Oh... it's... fine, I guess. I understand. You have unfinished business... monkey business, I presume. I have no problem with that...", Uyari said.

"Uyari okay?", Y'shaati asked.

"Yes, I'm okay. Go with him. Look. Can you see that little basin over there? I'll meet you there at noon when you're done. Ikta and I will be waiting for you down there, okay?"

"Okay!", Y'shaati said nodding.

"Go now, monkey!", the brunette said, fully trusting on Y'shaati's word.

Once settled, the savage girl turned around and ran away from there, accompanied by the gray gorilla.

/////////////

LATER...

The day had passed like a sigh and the time for Uyari and Y'shaati to meet had come. The native girl along with her feline sister arrived at the small basin where they agreed to regroup. Uyari had full confidence that Y'shaati would be there, but instead, what she found there was a reality check that made her consider her greatest concern: in the waters of that basin, Y'shaati's clothes were floating, with no other sign of her whereabouts. As if she had simply vanished into thin air.

"But... what's the meaning of this...?", Uyari wondered as she reached over and pulled those garments out of there. She looked all  around her for clues. There were none.

"Y'shaati! Are you here? Y'shaati! Y'shaati!!", Uyari asked shouting louder and louder. No one answered.

"Y'SHAATI! WHERE ARE YOU!? THIS ISN'T FUNNY!! Y'SHAATI!! Y'SHAATI!!!!!"

~End of 3rd Arc~

JUNGLE DAYS: THE BIRTH OF A RIVALRY PART II

-.This short story takes place 3 years before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

All the gorillas waited anxiously for the girl to utter the words with which she would finally admit defeat. Her situation was quite precarious. There was no possible way she could free herself from that advanced wrestling maneuver. Or at least, no one had ever succeeded in doing that before. That was one of many reasons why Na'ek remained unbeaten. In all his combats, once the gray gorilla figured out his opponent, there was nothing more to do. It was an assured victory for him. But the monkey girl Y'shaati was reluctant to give up. She knew this was the great test for which she had trained for so many months. Giving up was simply unacceptable to her. To surrender would mean accepting the humiliation and dishonor in front of the entire troop, including her master K'uno.

"Y'shaati not see? Na'ek invincible! Y'shaati surrender now, ook ook!", the ape ordered. "Y'shaati lost... don't force Na'ek to hurt Y'shaati more...", he warned. It was clear that he had nothing personal against her, but he also wasn't going to take responsibility for what might happen if the girl didn't obey.

"Hnnnngghh... uuugghh... Y-Y-Y'shaati... su-surr...", the blonde moaned with low voice.

"Oh? Yes! Ook ook! Y'shaati repeat that again, heh heh...", Na'ek said while grinning and bringing his ear closer to her mouth to listen.

"Y-Y'shaati... su-rren-der... NEVER!!", she exclaimed before turning and savagely biting the gorilla's ear.

"Goooaaaaaaargh!!!", the gorilla roared in pain, shaking its head in an attempt to free himself. But Y'shaati had no plans to let go until he released her first. With no choice, Na'ek had to use one of his hands to grab the girl by her hair to pull her off his face, freeing one arm in the process. She took advantage of that moment to deliver a strong headbutt right in the gorilla's forehead. Na'ek was stunned for an instant. Freed completely, she proceeded to kick his stomach and roll on the ground to get away from him.

The spectators were left speechless at this last action. What seemed to be a settled fight was still far from being finished. From above, K'uno couldn't help but show a slight smile.

Taking a safe distance, Y'shaati knelt down for a while to regain her composure. But now she had a new problem: she could neither feel nor move both arms. They were completely numb due to the gray gorilla's powerful grip. She was going to need some time to regain her strength if she wanted to use them again. Surprisingly, she didn't seem distressed about this. On the contrary, she was already planning her next strategy. She thought of something her master had mentioned during her training:

Believe it or not, your arms aren't the strongest parts of your body. Your legs and feet are. Never hesitate to use them effectively and change the course of battle.

Across the arena, Na'ek was beginning to look noticeably frustrated. He firmly believed that the girl's good performance so far was simply a product of good fortune. But he was willing to change that soon.

"Hmph... Na'ek admit Y'shaati smart and cunning. But Y'shaati no smarter than Na'ek!", the ape boasted beating his chest.

"Really? Hah hah, ook ook!! Then Na'ek not smart as Na'ek believe...", Y'shaati said to provoke him.

"What!? Grrrrr!! How little monkey dare...", he said offended.

"Na'ek dumber than a worm. Na'ek's head empty like coconut! Hah hah hah hah!! Ook ook ook ook!!", the girl laughed as she mocked him.

"Rooooaaaaaaarrgh!!! Y'shaati take that back!!!", he demanded.

"Nah-ah... come and make Y'shaati, big dumb-dumb! Ook ook!", she answered.

Just then, the gray ape growled and ran frantically towards her. He had taken the bait. It didn't take much insight to realize that this was clearly a mind trap. But the gorilla's pride had clouded his judgment to see the obvious. He wouldn't allow his intelligence to be insulted.

Na'ek launched an aggressive wave of attacks that had neither direction nor grace. The only thing on his mind was to teach this disrespectful little brat a lesson she would never forget. Y'shaati had no trouble dodging them all, jumping from side to side and ducking underneath him. There, she slid down and kicked him right in his ankles. That would reduce his mobility considerably for the rest of the battle. Roaring in pain, the gorilla tried to crush her by dropping his huge butt on her, but the girl managed to get out of there before that. She immediately climbed up his back until she reached his neck and hung onto him.

"What is it? Y'shaati too fast for dumb-dumb? Hya!", the blonde said while delivering a tough knee straight to his chin. Na'ek fell backwards. She then jumped and squatted on top of him, stomping hard on his face with both feet and rubbing her soles on his mouth. "Dumb-dumb can't touch little monkey, ook ook!"

"Hmmpfff! Hmmppff! Gaaaargh! Stop!", Na'ek clapped his hands in a attempt to grab her and apply another wrestling hold. But she got away from him once more. The gray ape stood up again, but this time more furious than ever.

"HNNGGRRRR!!! Na'ek feed snakes with Y'shaati after this, OOK OOK!!", he threatened while smashing the ground and spitting saliva. The spectators watched concerned. No one had seen the always solemn and calculating Na'ek in such primal state. He looked like an unleashed beast with low intelligence, driven only by pure instinct. Exactly as Y'shaati wanted it. This was all still part of her plan to defeat him. She was putting into practice the last, and perhaps most important lesson K'uno could teach her:

No matter how big, strong or intimidating your enemies may be... everybody has a weakness. It's up to you to discover it and exploit it to gain the advantage and claim victory.

It was evident that Na'ek's weakness was his anger. And that same anger was making him lose the fight so far.

Just then, Na'ek assumed a bipedal posture and began to make circles with his right arm. The crowd gasped in amazement. They all knew that was a sign that he was preparing his most powerful and definitive attack of his repertoire: his famous 'Silver Fist'. A brutal punch with which he had knocked out countless opponents in the past. Everything indicated that he was fed up with this fight and intended to finish it now. But unexpectedly, Y'shaati began to walk bravely towards him.

"OHHHHH! HA HA HA HA, OOH OOH OOH!!", the gorillas began to howl and laugh at the monkey girl, thinking she had probably lost her mind. No one would be so stupid to receive a frontal blow and think of surviving that. They thought she surely was about to accept her fate. But without warning, Y'shaati rushed at Na'ek, running on all fours at full speed. The gray ape kept spinning his arm like an helicopter, ready to discharge all his accumulated wrath on her. The clash seemed inevitable.

"Na'ek become champion... and make Y'shaati pay for her insolence! ROOOOAAAAAAAAARGH!!!", the gorilla exclaimed before releasing his mighty punch. However, what happened seconds later was simply unbelievable.

In an extraordinary way, Y'shaati managed to do a somersault to evade Na'ek's attack just in time. Next, she propelled herself with both arms and extended her legs to land both feet on the gorilla's face again, but now with much greater force and momentum. The impact was so strong it generated a shock wave accompanied by a thunderous sound. Na'ek rolled his eyes as Y'shaati grinned. But the blonde didn't stop there. She stomped his whole face more than a dozen times while in midair. After the last kick, Na'ek went flying until he crashed against the tall rock on which K'uno was sitting. 

The viewing gorillas turned to see their promised champion. He was completely knocked out. Even the rock had cracked from the violent impact. Fortunately, his life wasn't in danger. Nobody could believe it. Na'ek, the pride of the Tahuayo troop, had been vanquished.

K'uno descended to the ground to inspect the gray ape's body and declare to the crowd:

"Ooh ook ook! Na'ek cannot continue... Y'shaati winner!!"

The gorillas turned to look at Y'shaati, keeping a profound silence. The poor girl remained frozen. She didn't know how to react to the news. She had just won her first official fight in The Provings. For a second she thought that maybe the apes would hate her from now on for humiliating their next leader like that. But just then, the whole troop exploded in joy.

"OHH AHH OOK OOK!! Y'shaati so strong! How Y'shaati do that!? What that technique called!? Y'shaati very powerful! AHH OOK OOK!!"

All the apes cheered for her, carrying her on their shoulders. She felt a little embarrassed but also unexpectedly glad to know that they now respected her for accomplishing such impressive feat. From afar, his always serious master K'uno said nothing to her, but a slight smile in his face was enough to demonstrate that he was very proud of his apprentice.

Minutes later, having regained consciousness, a few gorillas helped Na'ek back to his feet. The gray gorilla wished to exchange a few words with the winner. Y'shaati accepted his request and approached him to talk.

"Hmph! Na'ek underestimate rival this time... but Na'ek admit defeat... little monkey fought well."

"Ah! Th-Thanks! Uhm, Y'shaati sorry for calling Na'ek dumb-dumb..."

"Y'shaati not need to apologize. Na'ek make mistakes... Y'shaati win fair and square. Y'shaati be a true Tahuayo now."

"Ah!? Na'ek really think that?"

"Indeed. But Na'ek not stop here. Na'ek continue training. Na'ek become stronger and defeat Y'shaati someday! That's a promise, ahh ook ook!"

"Heh... Y'shaati keep training too! Y'shaati look forward to next fight with Na'ek, ook ook!"

That day a great rivalry between them was born. A rivalry that still burns deep in their hearts to this day...

JUNGLE DAYS: THE BIRTH OF A RIVALRY PART I

-.This short story takes place 3 years before the 1st arc (Beginnings).-

In the depths of the amazon jungle, within Ka'aguy, the territory of the Tahuayo gorilla troop specifically, the enormous apes fought tirelessly between themselves. The blows they struck at each other were so strong that they made the earth rumble like small earthquakes. Anyone would think that a terrible conflict, or perhaps an internal dispute was going on in the clan. But that idea was far from being true. The gorillas were actually fighting in a very noble and sporting manner. It was a collective session called "The Provings". The apes were putting their strength and skills to test in fair combat to see how far they had progressed in their pursuit of becoming champions. These competitions were an old tradition within the troop. From a young age, most gorillas are taught to aspire to be troop leaders at some point in their lives. Of course, very few succeed in doing so. Only the strong are able to emerge victorious in these savage duels. These duels are the perfect opportunity to demonstrate their potential to become the Alpha.

Sitting on the top of a tall rock, K'uno, the respected leader of the Tahuayo troop, supervised all the encounters taking place in the arena. It was a round perimeter, large enough for several apes to face each other in a head-to-head match. Around the circle, more gorillas were anxiously waiting for their turn to participate in a bout. Among the spectators, the Naka'i female monkey Y'shaati was there, watching with curiousity and fascination. This was her first time to participate in the provings since she was accepted as a member of the troop a couple of years ago, so she was feeling a bit nervous.

Just at that moment, the most recent combat was ending. The gorilla Entu, a newcomer, fell defeated by the gray gorilla Na'ek. The only ape of the entire troop that was still undefeated. Despite his young age, Na'ek was considered a prodigy. No other gorilla possessed the intelligence and brilliance he displayed. He was able to identify weaknesses, predict attacks and learn the combat patterns of his opponents. On top of that, he had unparalleled charisma and personality within the clan. Many elder gorillas already considered him K'uno's natural successor, confident that he would soon become the undisputed Alpha who would guide them all in the near future.

"Ooh ook ook! Entu cannot continue... Na'ek winner! Excellent fight!", K'uno declared to the crowd. The spectators cheered and howled to the sky to celebrate his victory. Meanwhile, Entu was being dragged out from the arena by his peers. Y'shaati watched him in awe, peeking out through the multitude.

"Ook... Na'ek grateful, Master K'uno...", the gray gorilla bowed his head, humbly accepting his leader's praise.

"Na'ek show unrivaled talent. Na'ek overcome all challenges. Na'ek be very close to becoming champion for third time!", K'uno said mentioning his achievements. "However... Na'ek need one more victory before challenging K'uno... so... who confront Na'ek next...?", the gorilla asked to the spectators. The crowd remained in silence. The apes looked at each other, concerned. None of them was brave or fool enough to face him.

"Who...? Volunteers...? None...? Tch! Very well, ook ook... K'uno choose Na'ek's next opponent, then...", K'uno warned. As the leader decided who would be the gray gorilla's next adversary, Na'ek showed off his big pecks and muscles to the spectators to intimidate whoever dared to raise his hand. The males trembled in fear while the females sighed in heat, wishing to mate with him.

"Ook ook! K'uno make decision! Na'ek's next opponent be... ook ook... Y'shaati...!"

All the gorillas gasped upon hearing that name and turned to look at the little Naka'i monkey girl.

"Uh... Ahhhhhh!?", Y'shaati couldn't help but feel a tremendous panic at being chosen by her own master.

Since her arrival as a teenager in the troop, Y'shaati spent days and nights undergoing severe training under the mentorship of K'uno himself. The Naka'i monkeys who raised her, entrusted the mighty gorilla with the task of teaching her all about the arts of combat and turning her into a formidable warrior. That was her destiny. But the girl never imagined that her final test would come this very day.

"What!? Not fair, ook ook! Na'ek not want fight little monkey! Na'ek want fight real Tahuayo! Is master joking!?", Na'ek asked annoyed. The other gorillas also began to complain about their leader's decision. It was no secret in the clan that Y'shaati was treated in a 'special' way by K'uno, but back then no one understood the reason behind this. She wasn't even a gorilla to begin with.

"OOH AHH OOK!!! K'uno never joke!!! Na'ek fight Y'shaati!!! K'uno has decided!!! OOH AHH OOK OOK!!!", the leader howled furious as he heard Na'ek's claim. The apes trembled in fear.

"Y-Yes, master... Na'ek sorry...", the gray gorilla said looking down intimidated. Just then, the blonde girl pushed her way through the crowd to voice her opinion on the matter.

"B-But master! Y'shaati not ready... Y'shaati not finish training yet!", she said worried.

"Not ready!? Hnnggrrrr!! If Y'shaati think that... then Y'shaati never be ready ever!", he pointed. "K'uno stop training Y'shaati from today, then... Y'shaati have no business here! Y'shaati be free to leave troop whenever Y'shaati wants...", the gorilla said disappointed.

"Ahh!? Why!? Y'shaati not want that! Y'shaati make progress! Y'shaati want keep training! Ook ook ook!", the girl pleaded.

"Then Y'shaati demonstrate to all what Y'shaati learned right now!!! OOH OOK AHH AHH OOK!!!", K'uno demanded.

"M-Master! Ughhh... okay... Y'shaati agree...", she said resigned.

"Na'ek accept too, Master...", the gray ape said.

"Good. Y'shaati and Na'ek enter the arena...", K'uno ordered to both combatants. The gorilla and the girl moved to the center of the circle. They both adopted a similar stance, squatting down and putting their knuckles on the ground, staring at each other. Y'shaati looked so tiny and slender compared to the big Na'ek. All the apes watched expectantly, wondering what kind of combat they were about to witness. Probably an easy win for Na'ek. The monkey girl surely didn't stand a chance against him.

"Pssst... Y'shaati no worry! Na'ek finish Y'shaati quickly ook ook... heh heh heh...", the gorilla whispered to her. The girl frowned.

From above, K'uno picked up a small handful of colorful leaves and tossed them into the air, creating a beautiful scenery. The whole place remained in complete silence. When the last leaf touched the ground, K'uno clapped his hands and launched a thunderous roar:

"OOK OOK OOK OOK!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!"

And so, the great battle began. A battle that would give birth to a rivalry with important repercussions in the coming years.

Y'shaati knew that landing the first blow was vital to gaining the upper hand early in the match, so she charged forward to ram Na'ek with all her might. However, as she slammed her body against him, the gorilla didn't back down a single inch. The girl persisted and continued pushing him, but Na'ek was immovable like a mountain.

"Ohhh...? This Y'shaati's all strength? Hmph! Don't make Na'ek laugh... weakling...", the gray gorilla bragged before shoving Y'shaati aside very easily with just one arm. The girl backed away, losing her balance and landing on her butt.

"OOH OOH!! HA HA HA HA OOK OOK!!! OOK OOK HA HA HA HA!!!", all the gorillas pointed and laughed at the sight of Y'shaati sitting on the floor. She looked around, flushed and very embarrassed. This wasn't the start she had planned. K'uno shook his head in disappointment at this.

Y'shaati stood up and prepared to attack Na'ek for a second time. But before this, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to focus and think about her master's teachings. As K'uno always said:

Concentration is the first thing one must achieve if one wishes to succeed.

Remembering this, she sprinted on all fours towards Na'ek, making it look like she would try the exact same strategy on him. Na'ek smiled, knowing that the outcome would be the same again. But suddenly, she made an unexpected last-second flip to propel herself into the air and deliver three consecutive hard kicks right to the ape's chest. The blows broke Na'ek's composure, making the gorilla kneel down and lose his breath for a second. The crowd gasped astonished. They stopped mocking the monkey girl when they saw their champion being hurt by her.

"Aaarrrggghhh!! H-how... how tiny monkey hit so hard!? Hnnggrrr!!", Na'ek growled with a hand on his chest.

"Y'shaati no weakling, ook ook!", the blonde girl said with determination. This only caused the gray gorilla's anger to explode.

Enraged, the big ape went on the attack to put an end to what he considered to be a bad joke of a combat. The gorilla quickly approached and tried to crush her with his huge fists several times. But Y'shaati was extremely agile and faster than him, so she managed to dodge each of his attacks. With each failed attempt, Na'ek left himself vulnerable for Y'shaati to begin a counterattack, but the girl preferred to wait and keep evading attacks. She knew it was vital to connect a blow powerful enough to damage him, and for that, the opponent had to be exhausted. That was another important lesson her master taught her in training:

Never engage a frenzied rival. Wait for its outburst to end... and then strike with vigor.

After a while, Na'ek's movements became more slower and more predictable. The ape was panted agitated. It was the signal Y'shaati was waiting for. Dodging one last attack, the girl managed to position herself behind the gorilla. It was now or never. Taking the opportunity, she did a somersault and tried to deliver another series of kicks straight to the back of his neck. But unexpectedly, Na'ek turned around at that moment and caught Y'shaati by her leg in mid-air before she could hit him.

"Ahh!?", the blonde gasped in surprise. She never saw the move coming. She fell right into a trap.

"Heh... Y'shaati believe Na'ek not see Y'shaati's plan? Don't underestimate Na'ek, ook ook!!", Na'ek exclaimed before slamming Y'shaati violently to the ground. But the gorilla didn't let go of her after the impact.

Na'ek rolled on the ground along with her until they were both positioned on their backs, facing up with him directly underneath her. Then, the ape grasped each of Y'shaati's limbs with hands and feet. That was a classic but effective Tahuayo wrestling hold from which it was almost impossible to break free. The girl was in serious trouble now.

"Hah hah hah, ook ook! Na'ek caught little monkey! Surrender to Na'ek... or Na'ek break arms and legs!", the gray gorilla threatened Y'shaati to admit defeat. She struggled hard to free herself, but the ape's strength was vastly superior to hers.

"Aaaaaaggghhh!! N-n-no.... Y'shaati.... never.... hhhnnngggaaaaahh!!", Y'shaati groaned, baring her teeth and spreading her toes apart from the pain as she felt her arms and legs dislocating little by little from her torso. If this punishment continued like this, the consequences for her would be fatal. From above, K'uno couldn't help but feel concern for his apprentice. But he could never intervene to help her. That would be against the rules of The Provings. She was alone in this.

All the other gorillas watched closely, waiting to hear the crack of her bones that would mean the end of the fight. It was just a matter of time. Na'ek was very close to becoming champion of the Tahuayo troop.

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 15 - WHO AM I?

It was a calm and quiet night. It had been a long time since the jungle had been this peaceful. It was as if the sense of tension and constant danger of the past few days had magically vanished. No more anguish. No more fear. No more violence. It was good. Really good. And yet, for some reason, Y'shaati couldn't get to fall asleep. She had been awake for almost three hours, lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling of the tent. Everybody was deeply asleep. It was difficult for her to relax with so many thoughts and questions floating in her mind. If a few months ago someone had told her about the grand adventure she was about to experience, she wouldn't have believed it. And now, all the roads led her to this moment. To be there with the people she considered a new family.

Family.

A rather simple but complex word with so many meanings regardless of the language.

After putting an end to the Mapinguari's threat, Y'shaati and Uyari returned to the site of the original expedition to reunite with Lucas, Isabel and Grandpa. The girls had accomplished their sacred mission. Amazonia and its inhabitants had been saved from a terrible fate. The event would be known from that day forward as "The Battle of Mura Nunka". The battle in which two wild angels of the jungle, a monkey and a jaguar, joined forces to stop an ancient evil from consuming everything.

Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by their dear friends with open arms, grateful and blessed to see them alive and well. But they hadn't returned alone. They brought with them a prisoner. As the Jaguar God Ek' Balam mentioned, two souls were to blame for unleashing this disaster. Faucault and his squad of mercenaries were dead, but Marco was alive. Just barely, but still alive nonetheless. The blond boy had to pay the consequences of his miserable actions. So much chaos and damage caused by just one person. Uyari wasn't very clear explaining what she had planned for him to the group, but Dr. Escudero and Dr. Isabel didn't oppose her decision. They agreed that he deserved a severe punishment. They would think of an excuse to justify his absence upon their return to Spain. The native girl said she would take Marco to a faraway place of Amazonia called Ka'irai. The travel would take several days, but she was confident it was enough time for her to get there and back before they could leave the jungle and return to Madrid. Wasting no more time, the brunette set off with the company of her feline sister Ikta. Y'shaati had no chance to say goodbye to her.

The camp was still in shambles, but everything wasn't lost. There were still useful resources that would help them resupply and survive a few more days. The boat still had enough fuel to make the journey, so that was one less thing to worry about.

Later, after Isabel gave her a nice bath and tended her wounds, Y'shaati couldn't help overhearing a conversation between Lucas and the female doctor. It was obvious from their tones of voice that they were both happy to know that they would soon be back at home. But Lucas sounded a bit nostalgic. However, Dr. Escudero suddenly interrupted the conversation with a bomb question that made Isabel sob and shed a few tears:

"Are you really gonna force her to go with us? Are you willing to take her away from the only world she has ever known?"

"I am... we made a promise. We can't leave her alone. We are her family now... I'm sure ye both think I'm being selfish, but... she's all I have left of him. Francis... I see him again everytime I look into her eyes... I just... I just want to..."

"Oh Isabel..."

Family.

That enigmatic word again. She went to bed with that in mind. And in just a flash, Y'shaati remembered.

The Naka'i monkeys that raised her. The Tahuayo gorillas that taught her how to fight. They were her family too. Her 'real' family. What made them so different? Their way of walking? Their lack of clothes? Their language? To her, humans and apes were very similar in many ways. She came to this conclusion by realizing that humans were capable of feeling love. Not all of them were the soulless evil beings the primates claimed. However, they were also capable of doing awful things, similar to when ape clans declared war against each other for power and position within the primate order. So... What was that missing link that separated apes from humans?

Y'shaati was already aware that she was human. A hard truth she learned to accept since she was a teenager. No matter how hard she tried, she would never be an ape like the Naka'i or the Tahuayo. So, she thought maybe this was her destiny all along. It made sense to a certain extent. She began to reflect on all the changes she had gone through since she first met Lucas. She now had people who understood and accepted her as she really was. They saw her as an equal. Wearing clothes was becoming less of a torture. She was even beginning to like being dressed like that. She was one of them. Could it be that each day she spent with these people, she embraced her humanity even more? And if so, would going with them to that unknown world they called 'Madrid' be the right thing to do? To start a new life there? Stop being Y'shaati... and become Iara, as Isabel called her? Probably... the facts pointed that way.

But saying goodbye to everything she knew wouldn't be easy. She had a great responsibility in the jungle, as her master K'uno used to say. She was the protector and queen of the monkeys of Amazonia. Could K'uno have been wrong about her? The primate order counted on her to guide them as long as she lived. Yet for the past two months, she had completely ignored that duty. Surely the leaders of the primate order were not going to be very happy with her inexplicable absence. She had no justification. And that previous incident with Na'ek... shameful. Perhaps they had already chosen a new leader. It would be too embarrassing for her to go back to them like that. She wouldn't have the strength to do it. Leaving the jungle without everyone to notice didn't sound so bad in comparison.

And then there was Uyari... she and the dark-skinned girl both shared the same purpose. Perhaps she could protect the jungle instead of her. She had proven that she was more than capable of doing so. But there was something she still didn't quite fully understand. After rescuing her from the Mapinguari's belly, she felt a special connection with her. She had never felt anything like this in her entire life. Not even with Lucas with whom she shared several intimate moments. On many occasions the boy tried to declare his feelings for the feral blonde, but his shyness didn't allow him. Then... what happened in that instant? Y'shaati didn't have the slightest idea. But it was beautiful.

Was this what true friendship felt like? Or perhaps it was something else? Something deeper? She couldn't have said goodbye without feeling the same way, could she? Would she really be able to leave something like that behind?

So many questions. No answers...

The only thing for sure, was that she wouldn't be able to sleep at all tonight... and the time to say farewell was near...

Y'SHAATI BETWEEN WORLDS: CHAPTER 14 - GUARDIANS PART III

"YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"

Lucas, Isabel and Dr. Escudero turned to look at the temple after hearing that dreadful screech. Even Ikta was intimidated and felt the urge to flee from there, but she didn't. Her sister was still inside. No ordinary animal could have produced such a chilling sound. It was evident that something strange had happened in that place.

"What the heck was that...!?", Isabel asked frightened.

"Nothing good, I'm sure...", Grandpa said worried.

"Oh my! Ye think the girls are okay? I dinnae wanna think if something bad happened to them... oh please, Lord...", she said clasping her hands together to pray for Y'shaati and Uyari.

"Easy woman! Don't worry, I'm sure they're fine... they can handle it. I'm afraid we can't do anything but wait here...", the old man said trying to calm her down. But Lucas looked uneasy and hesitant. He could sense that things were not going to be all right as his grandfather claimed. His heart was telling him that he had to do something now.

"I... I don't like this. I... I gotta go there and look out for them...", the boy said.

"Are ye oot yer face!? How can ye even think of saying that!? Ye can forget about that idea right now, dear! I ain't gonna lose ye again, ya ken!?", Isabel exclaimed very anxious. Lucas remained silent as he picked up a mercenary's pistol from the ground.

"Lucas!? Lucas, I'm talking to ya! I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug, I swear!!", she shouted in desperation to stop him. 

"I'm sorry! But I can't just stand here and do nothing! Miss Uyari risked her life before to protect us! Y'shaati risked her life today to save Grandpa... but who's there to protect them? Wouldn't you do the same for me? This can't go on like this! Not anymore!", he sentenced.

"Archie, are ya listening to yer grandson!? Yer not gonna say anything to him!? Huh...? Archie!!", Dr. Escudero approached the boy as he prepared to enter. He seemed to be very calm with his decision. He put a hand on his shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.

"You're doing this for Y'shaati, isn't? You're in love with her, aren't you?", the old man whispered with an unexpected smile.

"Uhh... well... I think so. Yeah. I like her a lot...", Lucas confessed while looking down blushing.

"Heh. That's my boy. You've matured a lot since the day you met that girl. She made you a better person. I'd like to say that I had something to do with it, but the truth is that you did it on your own. And I'm very proud of the young man you've become. Never forget it. Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your girl, my boy!", he said with a wink.

"Ah! Yes, I will! Thank you so much, Grandpa! I won't let you down again!"

Without wasting more time, Lucas put the gun behind his pants and ran to enter the lost temple. Seeing this, Isabel almost fainted. Luckily, Grandpa was by her side to hold her.

"Whoa, careful there! Are you feeling well?"

"Och... one of these days... I'm really gonna die of a heart attack... and it will be yer fault, ya bampots!"

Once in, Lucas walked through the corridors, noticing the traces of blood on the floor. The girls were the only ones barefoot, so surely those footprints belonged to them. He thought that if he followed them, he might be able to track their whereabouts. As he went on, the boy couldn't help but feel fear as he saw the horrible deaths the mercenaries suffered. He knew the same thing could happen to him, but the boy didn't plan on backing down this time. He was afraid, as always. But now he had someone to be brave for. That feral blonde was his whole reason to face his inner demons. Thanks to her, he could now become a true hero.

"(I mustn't run away... I mustn't run away...)", he repeated in his mind to give himself courage as he made his way through the hallway filled with corpses.

/////////////

Inside the secret chamber, Marco couldn't believe his eyes. Faucault remained on his knees shaking, sweating and breathing heavily after producing that inhuman roar. His entire body was radiating some kind of white steam. But the most disturbing detail was that his muscles began to swell so grotesquely that the man now looked like a giant. Because of this, much of his attire had been torn apart and some nasty purple veins could be seen pulsating on his chest, neck and back. The girls, on the other hand, were still unconscious and tied up in a corner.

"B-B-Boss...?", Marco whispered nervously.

"Argghhh... gggghhhh... ahhhh... ahhhh... what's this...? What's happening to me...!?", the mercenary muttered as he checked the large new size of his hands. The amazonite looked tiny in his palm, not to mention that his voice now had a much deeper tone. It almost sounded like snarls.

"Holy fuck... are you okay?", the boy asked. "That... that same thing almost happened to me. I told you it was no joke, that shit is dangerous! You should get rid of it as soon as possible...", he suggested, but Faucault ignored him.

"Uhm... boss...?", he asked again. However, Faucault was mesmerized almost in a trance-like state by something evil. A sinister voice that only he could hear and that it came directly from the cursed jewel.

"YOU... YOOOOOOUUUUUU..."

"Ahhhh!? W-who's there!?"

"CONSUME... COOOOOONNNNNNSUUUUUUUUUUME..."

"W-what...!?"

"FEED MEEEEEEEEEEEEE..."

"What the hell are you...?"

"CONSUME... I SHALL GRANT... POWER... I SHALL GRANT... EYE AND CLAW..."

"Aaaaaaaaahhh!!! What are you doing!? YAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHHH!!!", Faucault cried out in pain as the amazonite suddenly embedded itself right into his chest and began to penetrate his skin like a drill until it was fully assimilated by his body. He could feel a dark entity taking over his will.

"Aaaaarrrrgghhhhhh!!! Nooooooo stoooooop it!!! Please!!! Please... just... stop... I... can't... uhhhh..."

"CONSUME... CONSUME IT ALL..."

"I... I... will... consume..."

"FEED ME... FLESH AND BLOOD..."

"I will... feed..."

"FEED ME... WITH DEATH..."

"I shall feed... with death!"

Just then, the statuesque mercenary got up from the ground and started walking towards Marco and the girls. At the same time, a foul cloud of brown breath began to come out of his mouth. His gaze seemed vacuous, with no sign of emotion or reasoning, as if he had been completely possessed by someone or something. Now he was nothing more than a mindless puppet. The man he used to be had disappeared.

"Boss... what are you planning to do...?" the boy said, taking steps back. "S-stop right there! Answer me!"

"I... will... consume... Hraaaoogggh.... GOOOAAAAAWWRRR!!!", Faucault roared like an enraged animal before picking up his pace.

"No wait wait wait!!! Ahhhhh!!!", Marco screamed in terror. However, at that moment, a bullet pierced through Faucault's chest. The mercenary suddenly stopped his march to check his wound. A second later, he was shot twice more. His pectorals were bleeding. Surprised, the blond boy turned around to see who had intervened.

"What the... Lucas!?", he exclaimed dumbfounded.

"Hey, what the hell happened to that guy...!? W-what's going on here!?", Lucas asked trembling as he kept aiming his pistol at Faucault.

"He's gone mad! Shoot him again!", Marco demanded.

"Must consume... GRRRRGHHH!!", the man-turned beast emitted another growl.

"Stay away, you monster!", Lucas exclaimed before shooting him several more times. But the mercenary was still alive and roaring. Not even bullets were able to stop him. The last option was to give him a lethal shot right in the head.

"I will... consume it all... YEEEEAAAAAOOOWW!!!", Faucault howled so loudly that he dislocated his jaw.

"This is for everything you did to us... and all the good people you killed... die you bastard!!", the boy shouted before giving him one last shot right in the forehead.

"AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH...", the giant man fell, shaking the place as he made contact with the ground. A pool of blood began to ooze from his head. His muscles were still twitching, but he was apparently dead. Against all odds, Lucas had managed to defeat the monster. Both boys came over to inspect his body.

"Is he dead?", Lucas asked.

"Surely... no one can survive something like that. Nice shot...", Marco replied. "Tell me, what are you doing here?"

"I felt that Y'shaati and miss Uyari were in danger so I came to... oh crap, I almost forgot! Where are they!?"

"Oh, they are over there. But I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Luc. Hehehe...", Marco said suspiciously.

"Wait what-", Lucas was interrupted with a hard punch in the face.

"Argh... what the hell is your problem!?", Lucas asked wiping the blood from one of his lips.

"The boss promised me a treasure and wealth! But alas, it was only lies... the amazonite turned out to be a disappointment. I wasn't planning to leave this damned jungle empty-handed! But I see that's not gonna be possible... I have to make this trip worthwhile...", he said with an evil grin.

"You're still at it? God... you're such a sick degenerate...", Lucas said knowing what he meant by that.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt them. I'm just gonna have a little fun with these two beautiful savage girls. I Don't think they will oppose me in that state... they might even enjoy it, hahahahaha!!"

"And you think I'll let you abuse them!?", Lucas said clenching his fists.

"What are you gonna do, smart guy? You gonna shoot me too? HAHAHAHAHAH.... ARGH!!!", Marco was punched hard in the mouth as he laughed.

"No... I won't shoot you. That's something you certainly would do to me, but I won't stoop to your level. I'm just going to give you the beating I should have given you a long time ago! I'm not afraid of you anymore. The years of terrorizing me end today!"

"Grrrrrrr!! You're a dead man, Lucas!!"

After many years of hating each other, the day when the two boys would settle things and confront each other had finally arrived. They began to struggle just a few meters away from Faucault's inert body. The boys took turns hitting each other with heavy punches and kicks in the purest style of a street fight. Both held on to each other's shirts and ties to better aim the blows. However, Marco's strength was superior to Lucas', so the latter started to feel overwhelmed.

"That's all you've got? Don't make me laugh!", Marco said while pushing Lucas against the wall and starting to strangle him with one arm. But Lucas thought fast and kneed him hard in the crotch.

"Hnnngggghh...!!!", Marco groaned. Lucas countered with a headbutt to free himself. With that attack his glasses broke a little, but he didn't mind at all. A few pieces of glass wedged into the blond boy's face.

"Heh! I've wanted to do that for a long time!", Lucas said with blood dripping from his forehead. Marco touched his face, shocked.

"My face!! You fucker!!", Marco exclaimed before tackling Lucas. Both boys fell to the ground. There, Marco tried to take from Lucas the gun he was hiding in his pants. He really wanted to kill him at that moment. Lucas tried to get him off in any way he could, so he bit one of his hands when he had the chance.

"Agh!!! Let go off me you idiot!", Marco ordered whipping Lucas' head against the floor made of rock. Lucas was stunned for a few seconds. However, the blond boy succeeded in his task and snatched the weapon from him. He was in serious trouble now.

"I see the wild blondie taught you some of her dirty tactics... but this is as far as you got, Luc...", Marco whispered pointing the gun at his throat. Lucas remained motionless, but discreetly reached into one of his pockets.

"Aargh! Damn you... you're no different than Faucault! You deserve the worst! You're not going to get away with this!", Lucas shouted angry.

"Those are gonna be your last words? Very well... this is farewell, then. Don't worry, I'll take good care of the girls, hahahaha!!!", Marco bragged as he pulled the trigger. But no bullet came out of from it.

"Ah!? What!?", Marco gasped.

"You really think I didn't count the bullets...?", Lucas said before pulling his hand out of his pocket holding his little knife. With a swift movement, he stabbed Marco on his left side.

"Aghh! Ahhhh... ahhh... you... m-motherfu... how could you...? Grrgh...!", Marco moaned, falling to the side as he covered his wound. The stab wasn't fatal, but he definitely couldn't continue fighting in that condition. Lucas had won the fight.

"I knew you would try to do that... I know you too well. I almost feel sorry for you. You're not going to die, but I hope you learned your lesson...", Lucas said, getting up. Immediately he walked over to aid the guardian girls. He bent down to untie them and tried to wake them up.

"Y'shaati, miss Uyari! Are you all right? Come to your senses, please!", the boy said shaking their shoulders. Fortunately, they didn't take long to regain consciousness.

"Uhhh... Lucas...? Is that you...?", the brunette whispered as her eyes opened. "Lu...cas...?", the blonde also asked.

"Oh, thank God! Yes, it's me! Are you hurt?", Lucas asked a little more relieved.

"Pretty banged up. But nothing serious, I believe...", Uyari replied. "Head hurt...", Y'shaati pointed out. Both girls slowly rose to their feet. "Ahh! Wait... where is he? Where is that demon!?", Uyari asked very upset. Her vigor was admirable, she was ready to keep fighting despite what had happened earlier. Y'shaati also adopted an alert pose.

"No it's okay! It's over... I managed to finish him off. I had to shoot him in the head. I also stopped Marco from doing bad things to you... oh I believe this belongs to you...", Lucas said with a slight smile and giving her back her knife. "Bad things...?", Y'shaati repeated confused.

"Hey thanks... wait, really!? You defeated him all by yourself?", Uyari exclaimed in disbelief. "What about the amazonite? Where is it?"

"Wait what? You actually found the amazonite!? Uhh well, uhm...", Lucas babbled. "I have no idea about that, but Faucault's body is over there...", Lucas turned back pointing with a finger. But the mercenary's corpse was gone.

"Ahhhh! W-what the heck!? It was there a while ago!", the boy said with a pale face. "He suffered some kind of... transformation. He looked like an ogre. His body was huge!". While the two were talking, Marco tried to stand up trying not to draw attention to himself, but it was useless as he was too weak for that.

"Transformation you say...?", the brunette said worried. As she approached to that point, she noted a thick trail of blood indicating that he had crawled back into the corridors of the temple. "Oh goddesses...", she peeked out a little to see if he was there.

At the end of that dark hallway, the echo of disgusting sounds could be heard from the entrance. As if a beast was chewing and crushing bones to feed itself. Indeed, Faucault was there, still alive. And that food was none other than the corpses of his former mercenary colleagues.  He had gathered them all together to gorge on them like a dog. As he ate more, his already gigantic body suffered another macabre alteration. And yet, he continued eating.

"More... I'm not sated. Must consume... mooooore...", he grunted. However, he also detected a scent that attracted his attention.

"Grrghhh...? I smell it...", Just then, he turned to see exactly where Uyari was. Panicked, the dark-skinned girl quickly ducked out of sight.

"It can't be... we have to get out of here immediately!!", Uyari suggested as she backed away terrified.

"Why? What did you see!?", Lucas asked. Before she could answer, the beast ran into the secret chamber of the temple, collapsing much of the wall as he made his entrance. The appearance of the beast was finally revealed.

Faucault had become an abomination. In addition to his stature, his skin became hard as armor and completely covered with brownish fur. His eyes merged into one big yellow eye. His whole face had disappeared. Long, sharp claws like scythes grew in place of fingernails. But the most disturbing thing was the horrifying, nauseating mouth full of teeth that had emerged on his abdomen. The monster let out a thunderous roar.

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!! What the hell is that thing!?", Lucas shouted frightened. "Ahhhh!!", Y'shaati gasped in awe.

"I don't believe it... the tales were true... it's the Mapinguari!", Uyari exclaimed.

"The Mapiwhat!?", Lucas asked. However, before she could say anything else, the brunette heard an ethereal familiar voice inside her head.

"(Cub... hear my warning, cub...)"

"Ek' Balam? Is that you?", she said closing her eyes.

"(You and your companions are in grave danger...)"

"Oh believe me, we're very aware of that already!", she grumbled.

"(You must flee in the act. The ancient evil has awaken once again, and Mura Nunka will be no more very soon... make haste!)"

"What? But our mission..."

"(No time for discussions now! Follow my guidance!)"

Just then, the Mapinguari ran towards them with open arms, destroying the pillars of the chamber in the process, just as Ek' Balam predicted.

"Look out!!", before it could crush them, Uyari pushed both the boy and the blonde away to save them. Dodging the charge, the abomination crashed hard into the wall, destroying the mural and the pedestal where the amazonite originally stood, causing a large amount of debris to fall from the ceiling. The temple's structure shook violently. It seemed that it wasn't going to resist much longer. The monster remained stunned for a few seconds.

"Are you two all right? We have to get out of here! This whole place will fall apart! Come on!", Uyari suggested.

"Alright! Let's go Y'shaati!", Lucas said taking the feral girl by the hand. As they left, Marco asked for help from the other side of the chamber, still struggling to stand up.

"Noooo!! Wait for me!! Don't you dare to leave me here, please!! Help me!! HELP MEEEEEEEE!!!", the injured boy pleaded for the last time. Coincidentally, a large chunk of debris fell on him, burying him completely. Suddenly, the entire chamber collapsed, raising a cloud of dust that enveloped everything in darkness. What until recently was considered a shrine had now become a mortal tomb.

/////////////

Outside the temple, Dr. Escudero, Dr. Isabel and Ikta were still expecting a sign of the young ones. Their wait came to an end when Grandpa managed to see three people leaving the temple at top speed.

"Isabel, look! Here they come! They did it! They really did it! I knew the would make it! Yeehaw!!", the old man said with a big smile while embracing the woman. "Yaldi! Those are my sweat dearies! Thank ye, Lord!!", Isabel said gratefully to the skies. However, their celebration didn't last long.

"GET IN THE BOAT!! HE'S COMING AT US!! WE HAVE TO LEAVE RIGHT NOW!!", Lucas shouted waving his arms as he ran alongside the girls.

"What, what's coming!?", Grandpa asked puzzled. Just then, the Mapinguari came out of the temple roaring and chasing them. The monster had suffered no damage from the collapse. "Ahhh, you gotta be kidding me!!", both Isabel and Grandpa exclaimed in unison.

"Start up the boat and escape through the tunnel! All of you!", Uyari ordered as they arrived. "Y'shaati, we need to distract him so they all can make it! This is it! Our time has come! Are you with me?", she asked as the monster drew closer with every second. "Y'shaati fight!", the blonde accepted.

"Hold on... where's Ikta!?", the brunette asked worried looking around. Unexpectedly, the jaguar appeared from behind, taking a great leap over everyone's heads and sprinted into the Mapinguari's path. The Onsa growled and pounced the monstrosity with all her strength, making him stop.

"No!! Ikta!! It's too dangerous!!", Uyari screamed fearing for her beloved sister's life. They all watched the huge feline boldly battling the fiend. She was biting and lacerating fiercely at the Mapinguari's back with her powerful claws. She was quick with her attacks, but none of them managed to really hurt its armor-like skin. In an instant, the Mapinguari finally managed to defend itself and give Ikta a savage swipe. The Onsa fell to the ground.

"Noooooo!! Leave my sister alone!!", the dark-skinned girl ran to aid the black jaguar while the monster opened its heinous mouth to devour Ikta. But before that could happen, another unforeseen event occurred. From the deep water, a bunch of piranhas began to jump out to attack the Mapinguari. The small predators soon covered its body almost entirely. In addition to that, some giant bats from the tunnel flew towards the creature and also joined the assault, siking their sharp fangs into it to suck its blood. The Mapinguari was overwhelmed. Ikta took advantage of that moment to rise and and get to safety with her sister.

"Ikta! By the gods, don't you ever do that again! Oh, I'm glad you're okay...", Uyari hugged the feline's head to comfort her. She purred.

"What's going on? The animals are attacking him... are they on our side!?", Lucas asked. "I guess it's just the law of the jungle, after all... eat or be eaten...", Dr. Escudero mentioned.

"I willnae stay to find out... but one thing I'm sure of, they're buying us precious bloody time! Quick, we should go!", Isabel mentioned as she boarded the boat. "Archie, do you know how to drive this thing?", she asked.

"Uh no, but there's a first time for everything... all aboard!", Grandpa answered. Without wasting any more time, they all boarded the deck while Dr. Escudero and Isabel went to the cockpit to figure out how to start the engine.

Meanwhile, the beasts of Mura Nunka continued to attack the monster. But it was far from being defeated and what's worse, it still had an ace up its sleeve. The abomination began to suck in a large amount of air, inflating its chest like a big balloon. And then, the Mapinguari exhaled an extremely pestilent and nauseating yellowish cloud of breath from the mouth of its abdomen. The piranhas and bats were caught off guard and couldn't avoid inhaling the fetid fog. It was so caustic, so corrosive that they all fell to the ground convulsing and dying instantly. Not even the insects flying around resisted the pest. The monster didn't miss the opportunity to eat the corpses.

"More... mooooooore... Hrghraaghh!!", the Mapinguari murmured.

"Uhh Grandpa... if you could rev up that engine so we can leave right away that would be great!!", Lucas insisted nervously as he observed the abomination feasting upon the animals really fast.

"I-I'm trying! Let's see... it seems to me, this is... no, it's not. So then, this must be... nope this isn't either... ahhh... this perhaps..."

"ARCHIE!!", Isabel shouted right next to him.

"Yelling my name at my ear doesn't help me! Ah wait, this is the good one!", the doctor said as he finally found the right lever to make the ignition. "Here we go! Hang tight, everybody! This will be my first rodeo with this thing!"

The vehicle gradually began to advance in the water, but the Mapinguari was only a few meters away. Noticing the group's escape, the monster sprinted in an attempt to stop them. Fortunately, the monster only managed to give a slight scratch into the hull of the boat. The fiend roared frustrated as he saw his victims running away. For some unknown reason, the monster didn't dare to dive into the water to follow them.But he wasn't going to give up so easily.

As they evacuated through the dark tunnel, the group took advantage of this quiet period to catch their breath. Uyari and Lucas explained to Isabel and Dr. Escudero everything that had happened inside the temple a few minutes ago. Salvation was looking increasingly viable.

"First mercenaries... then those horrible animals. And now that bowfin... whatever that thing is! He gies me the boke! Och, when is this all gaunnae end?", Isabel sighed.

"That thing was Faucault. The Amazonite took possession of him and transformed him into the Mapinguari. A legendary being that consumes everything in its path...", Uyari mentioned while caressing Ikta's injury.

"But how is that possible?", Lucas asked intrigued.

"Legend says that hundreds of years ago, an evil shaman discovered a way to achieve immortality. But the cost he paid for it was his own humanity, as well as being condemned by the Gods to suffer an eternal and insatiable hunger as punishment. Since the shaman cannot really die, he requires a 'host' in order to continue existing in this world. His body may rot, but his soul will continue to search for a way to return. To stop this, the ancient Icamiabas used a special jewel to contain him inside of it. And then they hid it in a remote part of Amazonia so that no one could disturb its prison... until today...", the brunnette explained.

"That explains all the traps of the temple. Nice... so basically, Faucault and Marco released an old demon or ghost. Sweet jesus...", Lucas said hopeless.

"By the way, what happened to that backstabbin' snotty?", Isabel asked.

"Well... I really don't know. I mean, he was still there when the chamber started to collapse... it all happened so fast, so I'm not sure...", the boy answered. The old man looked at the ground, disappointed to hear those words as he drove the boat.

"So what's the plan now? How do we defeat the Mapinguari?", he added.

"This is something only Ikta, Y'shaati and myself will be able to do. We will have to resort to using our powers to kill him. There is no other option. We cannot allow him to roam free. Otherwise, it will devour everything he finds, causing mayhem and death throughout the jungle. Without a natural predator, he could even break the food chain and put the entire ecosystem at stake. Utter chaos...", Uyari warned.

"That... sounds terrible!", Lucas said with a pale face. "M-Monster... eat all?", Y'shaati asked concerned.

"Yes, all...", the native girl nodded.

"Apes too?", she asked again.

"Yes, most definitely. He's a threat to all living beings...", Uyari insisted. The blonde frowned.

At that point, the boat finally made it outside the stone gate of Mura Nunka. Everyone had lost track of time as they noticed that it was already dusk. The sky was painted with reddish and orange tones, like a bad omen of what was about to happen. The river was open to continue sailing and return home, but behind them, the menace loomed. With uncanny agility, the Mapinguari followed them crawling along the tunnel walls and staying away from the water.

"He managed to catch up to us!? He's relentless!! Step on it, Grandpa!!", Lucas said as the creature approached, hopping from rock to rock.

"N-No good... we're already at full throttle!", Dr. Escudero mentioned.

"WHAT!?", Isabel exclaimed. Just then, the monster took a big leap with which would surely make it land on the deck and destroy it completely.

"It's gonna crush us!! AAAAHHHH!!!", the boy and the woman screamed in despair, uselessly covering their heads. However, the monster was suddenly stopped.

"HYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!", Y'shaati and Uyari gave a battle cry at the same time as they both delivered a great tackle to the Mapinguari in mid air. The power of both girls was strong enough to deflect its trajectory. The three fell to one side of the river. Ikta decided to jump off the vehicle and swim to where her sister was.

"Y'shaati!! Miss Uyari!!", the boy shouted. "Nooooo, Iara!!", Isabel cried too as the boat pulled away from them. As the girls stood up, the Mapinguari also regained its composure. That attack shook him up quite a bit, but not enough to cause him any harm. The monster roared in rage, knowing that he would have to settle for just eating two small snacks and a black cat.

"I'm glad to count on you, monkey! Let's put an end to this disaster!", Uyari said to Y'shaati as both prepared for the final fight.

"Y'shaati ready!", the feral blonde agreed. Behind them, Ikta growled, ready to pounce on the monster at Uyari's signal. And so began the biggest battle the jungle had seen in recent years. The three guardians went on the attack.

/////////////

The strategy was simple: attack as a team at the same time on different points of his body. Facing it individually would inevitably end in defeat. The blonde quickly climbed up to the monster's head to hit its eye with brute force. She closed her legs and interlocked her toes to brace herself tightly. The brunette, making use of her knife, tried to do damage to the legs to reduce its mobility. Ikta jumped on the Mapinguari's back with all her weight, just like before. As long as they remained like this, the Mapinguari would have no chance to focus on any of them. The abomination tried desperately to shake them off. It also used its long tongue as an extra limb. For a few minutes the plan worked, but the damage to the Mapinguari was almost nil. No matter how hard Uyari tried to slash the monster's lower limbs, her knife wouldn't penetrate its skin. Even the black jaguar's powerful claws couldn't pierce through it. They were just wasting their strength with attacks that didn't even leave a single scratch on the monster.

"Goddesses! This isn't working! We must try another approach.... Ah!", Uyari exclaimed as the Mapinguari tried to stomp her. Its large eye was completely focused on her. As if the beast still had certain memories of Faucault's hatred and revenge against her.

"Monster... strong... aagh!", Y'shaati said while blocking the creature's vision. At that moment, the Mapinguari began to suck in and inflate its chest again. Uyari already knew what that meant.

"Get away from him! He's going to expel his toxic breath!", the dark-skinned girl said before running to a tree and climbing it for shelter. Y'shaati soon followed Uyari's warning and let go of the Mapinguari's head and jumped up to grab a vine. Ikta propelled herself to leap onto a thick branch away from the beast. In just a second, the ground was flooded with that dangerous yellowish cloud that even melted the foliage and the outer layer of the trees. Birds and small amphibians hidden all over the place died instantly. The monster roared as it searched for them in the mist. Perched in the treetops, the girls watched him from high above.

"Cough cough... that things spreads fast... ugh, the smell is unbearable... deaugh...", Uyari said covering her nose and mouth. However, the blonde seemed to be able to tolerate it.

While continuing to search for them, the Mapinguari got careless and stepped on the riverbank with one of its feet. The monster produced an unusual squeak when it made contact with the water and shook its foot to dry it. It seemed frightened about it. An unexpected reaction from the fiend. The brunette noticed this right away.

"Did you see that? It seems to be afraid of water... I think that's why he couldn't stop us in the tunnel. Maybe we can use that to our favor!", she schemed. Just then, the yellow cloud dissipated. The creature looked up, spotting their hiding place.

"He's seen us! Let's go up!", Uyari mentioned. Both girls continued to climb the branches to escape its grasp. But the Mapinguari snarled and immediately rammed the base of the tree to knock it down.

"Ah! Aaahh!!!", Uyari gasped as she stumbled by taking a wrong step. She came very close to falling, but Y'shaati with her good reflexes managed to catch her by her arm. "Whoa... thanks monkey... that was close...", she said relieved.

Down below, the beast ran rampant to knock down all the nearby trees in the same way it did with the pillars of the temple. Its huge claws shattered even the thickest trees. The girls jumped onto the vines and swung nimbly. All the jungle foliage was coming down. The destruction the Mapinguari was causing to the environment was disastrous. To avoid this, Ikta took the abomination by surprise and pounced on it. The Onsa stalled him next to the river long enough for Uyari to come up with a plan to counterattack.

"This is our chance! Let's attack it together and throw it into the water!", the native girl said as they both spun in the air and swung back to where the Mapinguari was. With the great inertia they both had, Y'shaati and Uyari quickly reached the monster. They both released their vines and extended their legs in a coordinated way to deliver a powerful double kick. Ikta moved out of the way to avoid being hit.

"Hyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!", the guardians yelled before making contact with their bare feet on the Mapinguari's chest. The abomination never saw it coming. The fiend was pushed with such force that it went rolling on the ground until it fell all the way to the riverbank. "Begone, demon!", Uyari celebrated.

The Mapinguari emitted those pitiful screeches again as it tried to dig its claws into the surface to avoid being swept away by the current. Being too heavy, he would surely drown at the bottom of the water, but unfortunately that didn't happen. The beast made it out of the river in no time. The girls landed near to fight him again. Ikta didn't miss the opportunity to attack him once again. The feline gave strong slashes on its torso, but sadly, this time the monster managed to defend itself and bit Ikta really bad with its huge mouth. Uyari observed speechless. The Mapinguari brutally shaked the Onsa until he tossed her far away. Crashing against a trunk, Ikta tried to get up, but her wounds made it impossible to do so. She cried in pain short after.

"Sister!!!", Uyari ran to aid the black jaguar. Despite their efforts, the battle seemed to be leaning in favor of the Mapinguari. Meanwhile, the creature focused on the blonde for the first time. Shocked to see what the fiend had done to Ikta, Y'shaati pounced angrily on the beast. Her naked body and azur eyes began to glow brightly.

"You're bleeding! Please forgive me... I was so careless! I shouldn't have-", the brunette said sobbing.

"(Cub! Concentrate! This is not the time to display weakness!)", Ek' Balam said manifesting his voice in her mind again.

"We're losing... we have achieved nothing... the Mapinguari is too strong! It's infernal!", she complained.

"(Incorrect! Ikta's attempt has not been in vain... watch again closely!)", the Jaguar God mentioned. Uyari turned to look. She noticed something astonishing: the Mapinguari was bleeding from its chest while dueling with Y'shaati. The feline's attack had been effective.

"Ahh! It bleeds! But how!?", she asked.

"(Your deduction was accurate. The water has somehow taken effect and softened its impervious skin, making it vulnerable. That is the key to victory! Its weakness has been unveiled! You must continue fighting alongside your partner!)," Ek' Balam said to motivate her.

"It's true... I can't let that monstrosity hurt her too!", Uyari said.

"(But beware... the girl is not in full control of her power yet. Remember that, within her soul, one of the primordials resides... and in no way should it be disturbed. Take extreme precaution...)"

"I... understand..."

"(Then access my power! Release it all, don't hold back! Make me proud for having chosen you as my vessel. I leave it in your hands for now...)"

"I will! Rest here Ikta... I will make him pay for what he did to you...", she promised petting her sister. "Ek' Balam, grant me thy mighty blessing! Eme'ẽ chéve nde pu'aka!!!"

Uyari's beautiful, sculpted ebony body glowed brightly as she produced those words. She adopted a quadrupedal stance, similar to Ikta's way of stalking. It was a sign that she was about to let out her wildest side. The emergence of the true power of the Jaguar God. Suddenly, she ran on all fours at incredible speed and made a great leap to deliver a surprise punch to the Mapinguari while he was distracted.

"Ryah!!! Ryaah!!! Ryaaah!!! Ryaaah!!! Ryaah!!!", she grunted as she delivered a swift barrage of blows direct the monster's chest. Thanks to her power, the attacks seemed to be just as strong as an onsa's claws. Her strength and agility had increased considerably. The beast had no way to stop it.

"U-Uyari...?", Y'shaati asked surprised to see her friend's new abilities.

"Ryyyaaahhh!!!", the brunette screamed as she grabbed one of the Mapinguari's massive arms. She twisted it so roughly that it looked like it would break. But the monster put up resistance. "The water made his skin soft! We must kill it before its too late!". Y'shaati understood the situation. Embracing her savage side as well, she ran up to the beast and tackled it like a gorilla, sending him off until it collided with a large rock. At last, they had succeeded in causing him harm. His arm was noticeably injured. The Mapinguari got up dazed, but still with enough energy and rage to fight.

"Ook ook ook!!", Y'shaati howled beating her breasts like an ape. "Hsssskk!!", Uyari hissed like a cat. The guardians had become like feral animals.

The Mapinguari roared and began to crush the fallen tree trunks with his arms. In doing so, he created huge balls of debris made of wood, earth and rock. Without warning, the monster hurled the objects at the girls. Despite its primitive appearance, the Mapinguari showed enough intelligence to use these things as weapons. Y'shaati and Uyari quickly dodged the projectiles. They continued to run on four limbs to avoid being easy targets. They jumped from side to side as they came closer to the Mapinguari with each movement. The abomination once again showed cunning and held two pieces of wood as a shield, waiting for the attack of both.

"That won't help you!", Uyari said before sliding under his legs as Y'shaati attacked head on. With a somersault, followed by two hard kicks, the blonde shattered the Mapinguari's defense, pulverizing its makeshift shield. Using its tongue, the beast tried to counterattack to devour her in one bite, but the monkey queen was faster and hit its one eye with a punch. He retreated several steps. At the same time, the brunette propelled herself to jump above him. In midair, she held her knife and stabbed the back of the Mapinguari's neck. Helping herself with gravity, she slid her weapon all down to its waist, making a brutal slash all over its back. The monster let out a great shriek of pain.

"RROOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!", a huge amount of blood gushed out after the coordinated attack of the female guardians. But even that wasn't enough to kill him. Y'shaati didn't stop and continued to recklessly punch his eye with both fists. Without her expecting it, the Mapinguari seized her with its scythe-like claws and squeezed her with a bear hug.

"Aaaaaaaaggghh!!!", Y'shaati screamed. Uyari immediately tried to help her partner.

"Let her go, demon!!!", the brunette exclaimed as she leapt to attack him. But the Mapinguari surprised her by throwing Y'shaati as a projectile at Uyari. The girls crashed into each other in the air only to fall to the ground shortly after.

"Aahhh! Curses...", the native girl moaned. Seizing the advantage, the Mapinguari grabbed Uyari by her right ankle and dragged her for several meters. She held on to her knife the whole time... "Ah! Aaaahhhh!", she yelled.

"Free friend!", the blonde ordered. Then she quickly climbed the abomination's body and sat on its head again to continue beating it. To her bad luck, that didn't stop the fiend from lifting Uyari upside down to slowly lick her face and her beautiful breasts. It took its time wrapping drool around every inch of her body with its long, slimy tongue. The beast was eager for a snack and couldn't wait more to have just one bite. "Deauuughh!! Release me at once!!", the girl exclaimed in disgust, waving her knife desperately in hope of severing his muscular organ.

"I... will... consume... hrghraaaaaaaaa!!", the Mapinguari drooled and opening his nasty cavity. Uyari's eyes widened as the huge maw of the beast was about to suck her in. She started to yell but it was muffled. Her head and torso went in first. She tried to hold on to the inner walls of his snout and throat, but everything was too slippery from the thick slime and full of rows of teeth in there. Soon after, her legs and feet slid in easily. Outside, hand and foot shapes could be seen pushing on the sides of the Mapinguari's skin.

"Hyaaaaaahhhh!! Y'shaati, help me!! I don't want to end up like this!! Pleaseeeee heeeeeelp meeeeee...", Uyari screamed terrified of being devoured alive. But it was futile. The monster suddenly closed its snout, eating her completely. Y'shaati remained shocked. Motionless. In an instant, the Mapinguari shook the girl off with a strong swipe. In the distance, Ikta, weakened but conscious, also witnessed the tragic fate of her beloved little sister. A few moments later, Uyari's struggle to escape ceased. There was no more movement in the Mapinguari's belly.

Y'shaati fell to the ground. She still couldn't give credit of what her eyes just saw. The human girl, whom she had just begun to know and consider a good friend, was simply gone. This was the second time she had lost someone close to her, but broke her heart just like the first time. And yet again, she could do nothing to prevent it.

"UYARIII!!! No... no...!!", the blonde shouted horrified with tears welling up in her eyes. Oh her knees, she looked down and clenched her fists in frustration. Ikta let out a pitiful whimper for her sister.

"Grroooaaarggghhahahaha!!", the Mapinguari laughed while letting out a roar as he steadily walked towards Y'shaati, as a threat to warn her that she was next in the menu.

"Monster kill Uyari...", she said in a broken voice. "Monster... gggrrr... hhnnngggrrrr... hhhhnnnnngggrrrrr!!!", she growled and breathed agitated, absolutely furious. She squatted down, ready to pounce like an animal as she faced her enemy. The emerald glow surrounding her body intensified like a sun. The light that emitted hurt the beast's vision.

"Y'SHAATI KILL MONSTER!!!! HHHHNNNNNNGGGRRRRRR!!!!! RRRYYYYAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGHHHHH!!!!", Y'shaati let out a primal scream so loud that the sound wave made the entire jungle tremble like an earthquake. What Ek' Balam had feared was happening. The power of the primordial goddess locked in Y'shaati's body had been awakened.

In the blink of an eye, Y'shaati delivered a massive kick straight to the Mapinguari's side. Immediately, she connected another blow to the chest. Then one to the left arm. Then one to the right leg. All in less than five seconds. The monster didn't even have time to react to her movements. The monkey queen's speed had become almost supersonic. The Mapinguari spat out saliva as its bones cracked. To defend itself, the fiend inflated its chest to release its dreadful breath once more, but Y'shaati was two steps ahead and popped that bulge like a balloon with a poweful smash with two fists. A yellowish acidic substance that served as the base for his toxic gas splashed all over his huge body, burning his skin and fur in the process. A few drops also fell on the blonde's marble-like skin, burning her slightly, but she didn't even flinch at this. The beast fell backwards, writhing in pain.

"Monster die! Monster die!! Ryaaaaaaaaaaarrrghh!!", Y'shaati jumped on him and continued to beat the creature frantically. He couldn't shake her off this time. There was no escape for him. The poor girl cried and screamed as she brutally punished the Mapinguari. In her desperation to get her friend back, she stuck her arms inside his mouth and opened it wide, looking for some trace of her. Using only her hands, she tore pieces of tongue and internal flesh. The scene was disturbing and sad at the same time. Even Ikta felt fear at the sight of the girl's frenzy and uncontrolled state. But just when everything seemed lost, a small glimmer of hope appeared in front of her.

"Ahh!?", Y'shaati gasped. Deep inside its repulsive throat, Y'shaati caught a glimpse of Uyari's slime-covered soles. She was still wiggling her toes, which meant she was still alive. But being stuck in that narrow place, she was probably very close to dying of asphyxiation. Every second was vital for her survival.

"Uyari!!!", Y'shaati exclaimed in astonishment and quickly reached out to grab her by one ankle. The Mapinguari wanted to close its mouth, but it was impossible as Y'shaati was holding its jaws open with her dexterous feet.

"Ryaaaaarrrrr!!!", with much effort, the miracle happened. She finally managed to drag Uyari out of the monster. The girl fell to the ground along with Y'shaati, wrapped in slime that stretched across her limbs like a webbing, completely covered from head to toe in the disgusting saliva. She didn't respond. It seemed that it was too late. The blonde approached her and wiped her mouth and nose so she could breathe. Her glow dimmed considerably.

"Uyari... Uyari...", she sobbed as he shook her shoulders to wake her up. She tenderly caressed her face and thick curly black mane, now completely matted to her head. When one of her tears fell right on one of her cute cheeks, the brunette opened her eyes.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!! Cough cough cough cough...", Uyari inhaled deeply and coughed up a good amount of saliva. "Ugh... what... happened? Am I... dead?", she asked.

"Uyari!", Y'shaati hugged her friend. She couldn't be more grateful to life for allowing her to be with her again. She felt a sense of happiness that she had not experienced in a long time. A very different sensation compared to what she felt when she was with Lucas. She laid her ear on her chest to listen to her heart. "Uyari safe... ook ook ook...", she said.

"You... saved me... Y'shaati... I... I don't know how...", Uyari babbled. "I... I'm very... grateful... no one had ever..."

"Friends! Y'shaati protect friends...", she said smiling, holding hands with her.

"Y'shaati...", Uyari blushed. The blonde also blushed a little.

They girls lost themselves in each other's eyes for a few seconds that seemed like minutes. Everything around them faded away. It was just the two of them, sitting in the middle of the majestic jungle of Amazonia. Peace and harmony. Nothing else mattered. It was like a dream. Something very precious and difficult to explain. But the beautiful fantasy didn't last much longer.

"Goooaaaarrrgh! Grrrrgghh...", the Mapinguari roared as it tried to barely stand up. The monster's appearance was already decadent. It was bleeding everywhere and with those broken limbs it wasn't going to get very far. Its insane desire to devour was the only thing that kept it fighting. Both girls turned to look at him, annoyed.

"I'm sick of him... let's put an end to its pathetic existence once and for all, shall we?", Uyari mentioned.

"Monster die!", Y'shaati said motivated. The guardians stood up and prepared to attack him one last time. Both adopted similar quadrupedal poses and planned a final strategy.

"See that log back there? That'll finish him off...", Uyari pointed with a finger. "But you must use all the strength you have left... are you ready?", she asked. Y'shaati nodded. "On my mark... and... NOW!!"

The guardians ran at full speed towards the abomination. The Mapinguari stretched out his arms to crush them when they were within his reach. That would surely give him victory. Big mistake. The girls, instead of jumping and pouncing on it as usual, decided to aim for the creature's legs. Upon arriving, they each grabbed one of its lower limbs and pushed it back with all their power. The Mapinguari lost his balance, and because his bones were broken, he could not take any steps forward. Behind the monster's back, there was a huge piece of trunk with a very sharp point. The plan was to completely pierce the creature with that object.

"Push him!!! Hyyyaaaaaaaaaaa!!!", Uyari and Y'shaati screamed at the top of her lungs as they both surprisingly lifted the Mapinguari off the ground. The monster tried to stop it by waving its claws desperately, to no avail. The monster roared, sensing that its end was nigh. With a last effort, they carried the fiend to the tip of the trunk.

"Hoaaaarghhhh... arghhhhhh... aghhhhh... ghhh...", the monster shrieked as it felt the log piercing its chest. A cascade of blood gushed from its hideous mouth. His inner organs exploded and spilled all over the floor. Its body convulsed for a few moments until each of its muscles stiffened as it originally was. The pupil in his one eye began to dilate. The girls watched the Mapinguari's life vanishing slowly.

"We did it? Ahhh... yes. I believe we did it... that's it... it's over...", Uyari sighed relieved. A heavy weight finally lifted off her shoulders. Y'shaati inspected carefully, but everything indicated that it was definitive: the Mapinguari was dead. The threat had been erradicated. However, Y'shaati climbed the inert body of the beast. She planted her two feet firmly on its corpse.

"Hey, what are you doing?", Uyari asked confused.

"Uyari!", the blonde extended her arm for the brunette to take it and stand atop the monster with her.

"Uhh, alright then...", she stepped up. "Alright, so... what exactly are we doing?", she asked. Just then, the triumphant monkey queen beat her chest with pride and screamed out a thunderous cry of victory:

"AAAHHOOOOHHAAAAAAAAHHHHミOOOOHHHAAAAAAAHHミOOOHAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

"Oh! I understand. You couldn't resist the urge to do that, could you? I guess it's just the way you apes are, hehe... haha!", Uyari laughed. "Hmmm... I can make use of this...", before leaving, Uyari grabbed one of the Mapinguari's arms and tore off one of its claws to take it a trophy. Surely she would add it to her repertoire of weapons in the future.

After celebrating, they walked to where Ikta was resting. The feline raised her head and purred with happiness to see that her sister was safe. Uyari knelt down and gave her a big hug. Y'shaati smiled, knowing how much this huge cat meant to her.

"Ikta! I'm so glad you're okay!", Uyari said happily. The Onsa started to lick her wounds. "No, don't worry about it. There's nothing that time won't heal. You'll get well too! You'll see!", she said petting her ears. Y'shaati wanted to touch her as well, but she wasn't sure if the jaguar would allow it.

"Go ahead. Don't be afraid. She knows what you did and respects you...", Uyari encouraged her. The blonde put a hand on her fur and massaged her back. Ikta purred. "See? She likes you!", Uyari said. Just then, Ek' Balam communicated with Uyari again.

"(Well done. I'm most impressed by your performance. Thanks to you, Amazonia can rest safely...)", the jaguar god said.

"(Thank you Ek' Balam. We couldn't have done it without your wisdom!)"

"(There is no need for flattery, cub. But I'm afraid I must inform you of something important...)"

"(What's the matter?)"

"(Two humans were the perpetrators who desecrated the temple of Mura Nunka. One has been vanquished... but the other is still clinging his existence to this world. I sense signs of his life in that direction...)", Ek' Balam said referring to the dark tunnel.

"(Wait, you mean... Marco? He's still alive...?)", Uyari said in complete surprise.

/////////////

30 MINUTES LATER...

Among the debris of the secret chamber that housed the amazonite, Marco crawled out from the debris to abandon the place, feeling completely humiliated. His face was full of cuts and bruises. His body and hair was totally covered with dust. The wound on his side was still bleeding. But against all the odds, the boy wasn't dead. How he had managed to survive all the chaos was a mystery. Maybe it was pure luck. Maybe it was fate playing a trick on him. But unbeknowst to him, the time to pay for his actions was just around the corner. At that moment, someone helped him by removing a huge piece of rubble from his back.

"Ah, there you are... amazing. Ek' Balam was right. You really are no different from a little cockroach...", Uyari said mocking the pathetic state of the boy.

"Ahhhhhh... M-Miss Zé... B-Blondie... you came back for me... Oh... thank you so much...", Marco said with a low voice. Y'shaati looked at him while squatting with folded arms. She could now see through his empty words.

"Don't get your hopes up. We're not here because we want to save you. I couldn't care less about that. We came here to make justice!", the brunette said while suddenly putting her knife to his throat.

"Ahh!! W-w-why!? Agh... don't you think I've had enough after all this?!?", he asked nervous. "Come on... I was... I was just following orders! Faucault forced me to do it, I swear! I'm the real victim here!"

"Silence! Your mouth never tires of spitting out lies! Now, before I get you out of here, I need answers from you. And you better talk with the truth this time. Your miserable life depends on it...", Uyari threatened him.

"Whoa, okay okay! Just... be careful with that thing...", Marco agreed.

"You knew everything from the very beginning, don't you? Even before you arrived here in Amazonia with the others. You knew Faucault's plan. You spent a lot of time with those mercenaries, so I'm sure you must have heard something about it..."

"About what?"

"How did Faucault know about the existence of the amazonite? Who told him about it?", Uyari asked.

"What? Are you joking? I... I have no idea..."

"More lies!!", she exclaimed angered.

"Ahhh!! I-I'm telling you the truth! I-I never asked any questions! I just overheard a few conversations on the radio, that's all!", the boy admitted.

"Conversations? What were they talking about?", she asked.

"Well... uhh, not much really... but so-some mercenaries often mentioned a name... a-a man with a lot of money. I-I think he is the person who hired them all, Faucault included. He even provided them with the arsenal they smuggled in the boat...", the boy explained.

"What!? What was that name?"

"It was... Ma... Madeira. Sandro Madeira..."

"Madeira?", she said intrigued.

"That's all I know... so please... don't kill me!", Marco pleaded.

"Tch. I wasn't planning on killing you. No more blood will be shed today...."

"Really? Ooph... well... that's a relief..."

"But rest assured, you will be judged for your atrocities in a trial! I will make sure you receive a punishment equivalent to the catastrophe you have caused!"

"WHA-WHAAAAT!? EXCUSE ME!?

"Faucault paid with his life... You won't have it that easy..."

"A trial!? A-are you serious!? Pffffftttt... hahahahaha!", the boy laughed histerically with the little strength he still had. "Where the hell do you think we are!? We're in the middle of the fucking nowhere!! There are no laws here!! What are you gonna do!? Are you gonna accuse me!? You gonna turn me to the Amazonian Police Department!?", he said making fun of her words.

"Who said anything about that? The jungle itself will be your only judge, jury, and executioner...", she said whispering in his ear. Marco's cynical grin vanished instantly.